


That Awkward Moment

by arianapeterson19



Series: Avengers Shorts [22]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bucky has a potty mouth, Clint Needs a Hug, Clint is a punk, Coffee Addict Tony Stark, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Violence, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, I will make that tag a thing, Insecure Tony, Kidnapping, Language, M/M, Mechanic Tony, Mild Blood, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Physical Abuse, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Clint, Protective Steve Rogers, Rain, Rape, Rape Aftermath, Sleepy Cuddles, Steve is too, They're all punks, Tony Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-05-15 06:34:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 25
Words: 29,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5775343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arianapeterson19/pseuds/arianapeterson19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony was an adult male, perfectly capable of taking care of himself, he didn't need anyone stepping into his life and trying to save him when he didn't need saving. And he didn't need saving. At all. Nope.</p><p>OR</p><p>The one where Tony is a nerd and everyone drinks a lot of coffee.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. All the Coffee

“Yeah well fuck you!” screamed Tony.

“You already did!” screamed Tiberius, leering at Tony from across the hall. “And you were about as good as a cheap whore, all loose and free.”

“You’re such an asshole,” snapped Tony, tears streaming down his bruised cheek. “Just leave already!”

“I’m going to go out,” announced Tiberius. “And find myself an actual decent fuck. And when I come back in the morning I expect you to have that mess you made cleaned up.”

Tony slammed the apartment door and marched to the closet to get his shoes. Once he had them tied, Tony stormed out. 

It was raining but that didn’t matter, he wasn’t going far. The coffee shop was at the ground level of the apartment building. Tony was soaked by the time he got there but his usual table was open. It was too late for the place to be busy and his table was the worst one in the place, right next to the counter, high traffic, never a moment of peace, and with a great view of the hot coffee maker.

“You left your book last time,” said the coffee maker, tossing Tony his worn book.

“Thanks,” said Tony, ignoring the book and glaring at the table.

There was a partial ring from a different coffee cup marring the surface of the scarred wooden table. There were a lot of things Tony thought about that table – the stories it could tell, the conversations it had witnessed, the coffee that had been spilled on it. It was the same table he had sat at for months. He had done his homework on it, drawn up plans for robots, doodled absentmindedly, accomplished nothing. It was his table. And if he ever died he wanted to be buried with that table. Not that he planned on dying because he wasn’t sure that whatever afterlife waited for him wouldn’t include coffee and if there was no coffee he wasn’t going.

“He’s such an asshole,” said Tony after a while to no one in particular. 

It didn’t matter, the coffee shop was almost deserted. No one cared enough to listen anyway. Tony didn’t have friends, not anymore. Tiberius didn’t like his old friends so they had to go.

“You okay?” asked one of the coffee makers, a guy named Clint. “You seem pretty upset.”

“I’m fine,” snapped Tony, not looking up from his table.

“Leave Tony alone, Clint,” called Steve, the guy working the register. “He only likes to talk to himself.”

“That’s not true,” said Bucky, who was sweeping the floor near the door. “Sometimes Tony talks to that blonde dick. You know, the bastard who only ever orders the frilly drinks, never tips, and offends the rest of our customers?”

“His name is Tiberius,” said Steve absently, doodling on a discarded receipt. “Not bastard. Though he is an asshole, so I can see why you got confused.”

Tony rolled his eyes but refused to look up. He actually really liked Clint, Steve, and Bucky. They left him alone when he was working, talked to him when he wasn’t, and always refilled his coffee cup even though Tony was fairly certain that was against the rules.

“Where is blondie tonight anyway?” asked Clint. “He’s usually here by now, demanding you go with him to his lair or whatever.”

“He’s out,” replied Tony, finally looking up.

“Shit man, what happened to your face?” asked Clint, taking in the bruised cheek and several day old black eye. “Get into a fight?”

“Something like that,” replied Tony.

It was no use explaining it to someone like Clint; he wouldn’t understand. Clint would just judge him, everyone else did. But no one ever did anything about it because Tony was a guy, he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Tony never did anything because he was a guy and perfectly capable of taking care of himself. And people like Clint would never understand that. 

“Look, we’re closing early,” said Bucky. “But if you want, we have an apartment right upstairs, you can come hang out with us for a while.”

“No thanks,” said Tony.

“What else do you have planned?” asked Clint. “A busy night of brooding?”

“Maybe.”

“Naw, come on,” said Bucky, putting away the broom and throwing a companionable arm around Tony’s shoulders, guiding the smaller young man away from the table. “We’re going to order pizza and watch stupid movies. You can brood there.”

“Yeah,” agreed Steve, locking up the registar while Clint got the lights. “It’s high time we move past the coffee stage and on to the hanging out outside of work stage.”

“This isn’t my work,” said Tony, offering only that token protest.

“It may as well be,” said Clint. “Come on. We’re done and I’m hungry.”

Tony followed the three friends back into the same apartment building he lived in. The only difference was that Tony lived three floors above them and two doors down. Also their apartment was furnished with hand-me-down couches and chairs and the walls were papers in drawing and photographs. It was comfortable, cozy. Tony liked it and instantly regretted that he was so at ease in the new environment.

“You have any preferences on toppings?” asked Clint, already dialing the phone.

“No olives,” said Tony, making himself comfortable on the overstuffed, oversized, armchair.

Bucky turned on a movie and Steve went to his bedroom and changed. Tony watched as the three men moved around each other. There was a noticeable lack of arguing, no fighting, ample teasing, a bit of flirting, and when the pizza arrived, Bucky paid because it turned out that it was his turn to pay.

“You guys are strange,” said Tony.

Steve laughed. Bucky was about to shut the door when Tiberius walked through the hall on the way to the connecting stairwell. He was drunk and not alone.

“Tony?” slurred Tiberius, spotting the other male in the apartment. “What are you doing there you little slut?”

“Go away, Ty,” sighed Tony. “I’m done fighting with you.”

“Enjoy the whore,” said Tiberius, laughing lewdly. “He’s a lousy fuck.”

Bucky slammed the door and locked it, which did wonders for muffling the burning comments from the drunken man in the hall. All eyes were fixed on Tony who in turn fixed his eyes on the ground, wishing it would just open it up and swallow him.


	2. Just Walk Away

For almost four minutes no one in the tiny apartment spoke and when someone finally did, it was Tony because he couldn’t take the silence and the ground refused to swallow him.

“I guess that answers the question of where the blonde dick is,” said Tony, trying for light and cheerful and falling short.

“I didn’t realize you were broken up,” said Steve, sounding as if he regretted the words as he was speaking them but unable to stop himself from saying them regardless.

“We’re not a couple,” snapped Tony.

“You live together,” said Bucky. “You fuck. That sounds pretty couple-y to me.”

“There’s a difference between being a couple and being in a relationship. Ty and I are in a relationship. It’s sort of a friends-with-benefits thing.”

“With that dick?” said Clint, disgust written clearly on his face. “No. Just no.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” muttered Tony darkly.

Because Clint really wouldn’t understand, none of the buff brigade would. They had never been on the smaller side, they didn’t know what it felt like to be powerless. And Ty, Ty had the money, he had gotten Tony out of his fathers house. Without him, Tony could never afford to live on his own. His job as a mechanic paid enough for food and some of his student loans. His work as a TA paid even less but at least covered the cost of books. Tony was living off of Ty’s charity and if the man wanted to fuck him and use him as punching practice then fine, at least he had a roof over his head. And not a single one of the men sitting in the living room could know what it felt like to live on the streets.

“Fine, then enlighten me,” said Clint, leaning over the top of the couch to glare at Tony. “Please, tell me what could be so great about that asshole that makes you want to stay with him. He treats you like shit, we’ve all seen it at the coffee shop. And you let him! Why? Are you just that desperate?”

“Maybe!” yelled Tony, standing up and glowering at Clint. “Or maybe it’s none of your damn business. You know what? It’s been fun, a real hoot hanging out with you lot, but I’m leaving.”

“Oh, stop being such a drama queen,” said Bucky, rolling his eyes. “Sit down, the pizza is getting cold.”

“It’s not our place to judge your relationship,” said Steve, looking for all the world like it physically pained him to say it. “We’ll stop talking about it.”

Clint growled but put in a movie about a princess and a pirate and overgrown rodents. No one seemed to really watch the movie but there was no talking either, so they just let it go. Tony even fell asleep, curled up like a cat on the overstuffed armchair. Clint threw a blanket over him and plopped down between Bucky and Steve on the couch.

“I hate that dick,” grumbled Clint. 

“So do I but it’s not our place,” said Steve, throwing an arm around Clint. 

“That guy is an asshole,” said Clint. “Tony’s miserable with him! We all know that. He’s happy when he’s at the shop. He’s relaxed. And then every time that bastard walks in he tenses up and that bastard makes a scene.”

“He clearly doesn’t want help,” said Bucky. “I know it sucks, baby, but we can’t do anything right now.”

“You guys are the worst,” grumbled Clint, not at all sounding like he meant it.

When Tony woke up, it was early, too early for anyone else in the apartment to be awake, so he slipped out and walked up the several flights of stairs to the apartment he shared with Tiberius. The sitting room was the same mess it had been before. The ugly vase still lay in bits and broken pieces, remnants of the argument last night and proof that Tony had not cleaned up like he was supposed to.

“Hello?” called Tony, looking around.

No answer.

With a sigh, Tony started cleaning up, leaving the vase for last. By the time he was finished with the dishes, the guy from last night came stumbling out of the bedroom and walked right out the door, ignoring Tony entirely. 

“I see you didn’t clean up your mess,” drawled Tiberius, leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom. 

“You’re the one who threw the vase at me,” snapped Tony.

“You’re the one who refused to fuck.”

“No, I’m the one who refused to join you and that whore in OUR bed when I walked in on you,” yelled Tony.

“Well I wouldn’t have to have someone in MY bed if you weren’t such a lousy fuck!”

“Why do you have to be such an asshole all the time?”

“Why do you have to be such a whiny little bitch?”

“Fuck you!” screamed Tony, stepping over the broken vase towards Tiberius, seething. “I don’t have to take this. I didn’t leave my abusive drunk of a father just to live with an abusive drunk of a boyfriend.”

“What did you call me?” growled Tiberius.

Before Tony could react Tiberius shoved him back. Tony fell on the ground, hands reaching back to catch himself but catching glass instead. Slowly, he pulled his hands up to see the damage. Blood was trickling out from around bits of vase that were still embedded in his hands, forming little streams on his pale hands. The contrast was just so outstanding that Tony just started laughing. And once he started laughing he couldn’t stop.

“What?” sneered Tiberius. “What are you laughing at? You have another mess to clean up now, clumsy slut. Why are you laughing?”

“It’s just so funny,” said Tony, gasping for breath between chuckles. “I just – I can’t even talk to you without fighting. And this is the third time this week you’ve made me bleed. And it’s only Tuesday! I just realized that this isn’t what I wanted from my life.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying that I don’t want to fight anymore, Ty,” sighed Tony. “I’m tired of fighting. We always fight. We used to be happy. What happened?”

“I picked up a homeless, near starving whore off the street and let him move in out of charity,” said Tiberius with a vindictive grin. “Then that project turned out dull and stupid and now he’s bleeding on the ground and just won’t leave.”

Tony blinked, then stood up, his hands still dripping blood, and started to walk to the door.

“What, are you going to leave?” laughed Tiberius. “If you walk out that door you’d better not come back.”

Tony didn’t reply, just walked away. The halls were quiet as Tony walked aimlessly, dripping blood every few feet.

“Tony?” said Bucky, passing Tony in the hall as he came back from the trash chute, throwing out the pizza boxes from the night before. “What are you doing?”

“Browsing,” replied Tony.

“You’re bleeding,” said Bucky suddenly.

“Only a little,” said Tony. “Thanks for the movie last night.”

“What happened to your hands?” said Bucky, grabbing Tony’s arm and dragging him back to his apartment. “Is that glass in them?”

“Pottery,” corrected Tony. “Which I don’t think is the same as glass.”

“Sit,” said Bucky, depositing Tony at the round kitchen table. “Try not to bleed too much.”

“What are you doing?” asked Tony, coming out of his daze a bit when Bucky pulled one of his bleeding hands towards him.

“You’re bleeding,” explained Bucky slowly as though Tony was thick. “So I’m going to pick out the broken glass and then clean the wounds and then you’re going to tell me how that happened.”

“No,” said Tony, starting to pull away only to be stopped by Bucky’s superior strength. “I have work. At the shop. It’s my morning shift and if I stay for you to clean me up then I’ll be late. And if I’m late then I get fired and if I get fired I don’t get to eat and I like eating.”

Bucky eyed Tony, his stomach dropping slightly; he hadn’t realized Tony’s situation was so precarious. Instead of saying anything he started pulling bits of broken vase out of Tony’s hand, pausing to wipe off blood every so often.

“Oh hey Tony, I thought you left,” said Steve, entering the kitchen and kissing the top of Bucky’s head as he passed on his way to the fridge. “What happened to your hands?”

“I decided to see how many vases I could smash with my bare hands before they bled,” said Tony. “One. The answer is one vase.”

“Sure it doesn’t have anything to do with that blonde dick Tiberius?” asked Clint stealing the orange juice out of Steve’s hand and drinking right out of the carton.

“You’re right, that’s it,” said Tony sarcastically. “Tiberius and I had a fight, he pushed me into the vase he smashed last night, then kicked me out. That’s how I ended up with bleeding hands. Sure.”

Steve, Bucky, and Clint looked at each other, confirming their fears.

“Can we kick the blonde bastard’s ass now?” asked Clint.

“Yes, now we can kick the blonde bastard’s ass,” said Steve, grabbing his shoes and following Clint to the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By popular vote this will become a Tony/Steve/Bucky/Clint.
> 
> This is rated higher than my other fics because of language mostly. 
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	3. Let it Rain

“So,” said Tony, after a while of sitting with Bucky meticulously bandaging his hands. “Are you guys like a thing?”

“If you mean are Steve, Clint and I all seeing each other, yes,” said Bucky. “And here’s another shocker, we don’t make each other bleed.”

“So you’re not into that sort of thing?” said Tony with a smirk. 

“Why are you with guy?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” said Tony, feeling like he had said that a lot.

“Try me.”

Tony finally looked up away from the table. Bucky was looking so intently at him, open and stern and it had been years since anyone looked at Tony like they were actually interested in what he had to say.

“Don’t worry about it,” sighed Tony, pulling his bound hands back. “Thanks for the help but I really am late for work.”

“Wait.”

“It’s been fun but I’ve got places to be.”

And with a backwards wave of his gauze covered hand he was gone.

Clint and Steve returned looking furious.

“Did you kick his ass?” asked Bucky, clearing away the medical supplies.

“No,” pouted Clint. “He was gone.”

“Where’s Tony?” asked Steve, looking around the small apartment as if he would find the other man there.

“He had work or something,” said Bucky. “I’m worried about him.”

“Yeah, we all are,” said Clint, throwing himself on the couch. “That kid comes in every damn day for coffee, never talks to anyone except us, works so hard, and still lives with that asshat. Doesn’t he have better taste?”

“I’m not sure he has a choice,” said Bucky.

-That Awkward Moment-

“You’re late again,” said Kent, glaring at Tony.

“I’m sorry,” said Tony, panting and tugging on his stained blue coveralls. “I had to run. It won’t happen again.”

“You’re damn right it won’t,” said Kent. “You do realize that we have four big ticket items already? And you promised you wouldn’t be late the last time you were late. Tony, you’re a great mechanic, you can fix anything, but I can’t afford to keep you on. I need someone dependable, not someone who is late.”

“I can fix this.”

“No, you can’t. I’m sorry Tony. If you need a good recommendation just give me a call.”

Tony left.

The sidewalk was still damp but the city was awake and people were around and that was the reason that why Tony missed the clothes strewn across the ground being trampled by the city walkers. He did notice that his key was no longer working for the door to the apartment.

“Ty, open up,” sighed Tony, knocking on the door with his hand, cringing at the pain it caused. “Come on, this isn’t funny. Just open the fucking door.”

“You don’t live here anymore,” said Tiberius, opening the door enough for the chain to be pulled taut.

“Are you shitting me?” said Tony, unimpressed. “I’m not in the mood.”

“I told you that if you walked out you would never come back, so I threw your stuff out the window. You don’t live here anymore. Back to the streets for you, whore.”

Tony groaned in frustration but stormed off to try and salvage any of his belongings. 

Nothing was salvageable. The clothes were ruined and anything he used to own – like his text books – were too wet and missing pages to bother saving. Instead Tony just sat down inside the alley and waited. He wasn’t sure what he was waiting for – a train to take him away, a sign, an overgrown rat, anything – but it started to rain, so perhaps that was what he was waiting for. And he would have left to get out of the rain but he had nowhere else to go.

“Tony?” came a voice that sounded really far away.

Tony blinked and realized that it was much darker than it had been when he sat down. It was still raining and he was shivering but the light had changed. Also someone was kneeling in front of him.

“Tony?” said Steve, the person in front of him. “Tony, what are you doing out here?”

“Sitting,” said Tony though his mouth wasn’t working well with his teeth chattering.

“You’re soaked,” said Steve. “Come on, I’m about to start my shift, let’s get you something warm to drink at least.”

Steve brought him into the coffee shop, smiling and steering Tony to his table before going behind the counter where Clint was just finishing up his shift.

“Tony was sitting in the alley,” said Steve as he poured a cup of coffee in a take-away cup and handed it to Clint.

“Still?” said Clint. “He was sitting there when I came in hours ago. I thought he was waiting for someone. It’s been raining this whole time!”

“I know,” sighed Steve. “Just, take him upstairs and try to figure out what happened.”

“Are we adopting him?” asked Clint with a soft smile. “Because you like to adopt people.”

“Just get him dry,” said Steve with an eye roll.

Clint grinned, kissed Steve’s cheek, and brought the coffee over to the wet man at the awful table.

“Coffee,” said Clint.

“Mine,” said Tony, reaching out with hands that were wrapped in soaked, bloodstained gauze.

“And you will get it when you are upstairs, dry, and no longer shaking,” said Clint. “Come on. Let’s go. Coffee is waiting for you.”

With a grumble Tony followed more the scent of coffee than Clint, up to the small but warm apartment. Once there, Clint set the coffee down on the kitchen table and disappeared into the bedroom for a moment, reappearing with a large sweatshirt and sweatpants. He handed both to Tony and shoved him in the direction of the bathroom. When Tony reemerged he was still shivering violently but only his hair was wet.

“Sit down,” said Clint.

Tony did, too tired and cold to protest. Almost as soon as he was on the couch he curled up, closed his eyes, and fell asleep. Clint shook his head at the boy but covered him with a blanket and went back to the bedroom where Bucky was fast asleep on the bed.

“Bucky, wake up!” said Clint, jumping on the bed and making it shake, effectively waking his boyfriend.

“What the hell, Clint?” moaned Bucky. “Every time!”

“Tony’s on the couch asleep,” said Clint. “He spent all day sitting in the alley in the rain. I don’t know what happened but he’s back and he’s adorable and Steve wants to keep him.”

“Of course Steve does,” sighed Bucky.

“So can we?”

“We are not dating him too,” said Bucky. “No way, you and Steve are way too much energy, we are not adding the manic neighbor who drinks too much coffee.”

“You’re no fun,” pouted Clint.

“Now did you wake me up for a specific reason or just because you were bored because you’re new toy fell asleep?”

“I saw Tiberius enter the building before us, so I know he’s home,” said Clint with an evil grin. “Wanna go beat him up?”

Bucky thought about it for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of getting out of bed before nodding. 

“Sure, why not?” said Bucky with a yawn. “It’s been a while since I’ve beat someone up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update dedicated entirely to 1WitchByMidnight1 who asked for it.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	4. Hero Complex

Tiberius had unlocked the door after Tony left; he was expecting company and Tony wasn’t coming back. 

“Tiberius?” called a voice, opening the front door.

“Who are you?” asked Tiberius, sticking his head out of the bedroom door, face half shaved. “You’re not “Clark.”

“Well spotted, Sherlock,” said Bucky. “I’m Bucky, this is Clint.”

“Don’t you two work at the coffee shop Tony always goes to?” said Tiberius. 

“Yeah,” said Clint, nodding along. “Listen, about Tony.”

“Don’t talk to me about that bitch,” snapped Tiberius. “He was such a waste of my time. I’m glad he’s gone.”

Bucky punched Tiberius in the nose.

“What the hell?” yelled Tiberius.

“I’m sorry, I’m not good at the small talk,” said Bucky. “That’s Steve’s job.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with you?” snapped Clint, throwing a book at Tiberius from the counter. “What’s wrong with you? You have to beat up on someone smaller than you to make you feel like a man!”

“That fucker deserved it!”

That comment made Clint and Bucky attack without mercy. They moved as a unit, never hitting each other, almost like they had done something similar before. They had- multiple times-but that wasn’t the point. The point was by the time Steve found them Tiberius was very bloody, very broken, and Bucky and Clint were very much satisfied with their work, drinking beers from Tiberius’s fridge.

“Really?” admonished Steve, looking over the mess. “You guys couldn’t wait until later?”

“Mad you didn’t get in on the action?” said Clint with a smirk.

“A little but more a little peeved you two left Tony alone in the apartment asleep and didn’t lock the door behind you.”

“He’s asleep! What trouble could he get into?”

“You left the apartment unlocked! He could have been hurt, anyone could have walked in!”

Bucky and Clint exchanged guilty looks.

“Alright, you’ve had your fun, back to the apartment,” said Steve. 

“Hey Steve,” said Bucky as they walked down the hall. “What’s the plan here?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that Clint says you want to keep Tony but I don’t want another boyfriend.”

Steve paused and looked at Bucky, surprised.

“I never said anything about dating him,” said Steve slowly. “Yes, I think he should stay with us because I don’t want him anywhere near that bastard. But I don’t think dating him is the answer right now.”

“You sure?” said Bucky, raising an eyebrow. “Isn’t that what you said about Clint?”

“No, I think my exact words about Clint were ‘He’s pretty cute. I’m game if you are’ and you, my dear boy, were game.”

Bucky scrunched his nose when Steve kissed him but when Clint called them down the hall they broke apart and followed their third back to the apartment. Tony was still asleep on the couch, looking adorable in Steve’s oversized sweatshirt, his hair drying is messy curls, the plaid blanket covering his legs, though one foot stuck out at the end. As he passed, Bucky tugged the blanket down to cover the peeking appendage. Steve couldn’t hide his smirk because Bucky may claim he wasn’t interested but he wasn’t showing that lack of interest very well.

“He’s cute when he’s sleeping,” said Clint, making coffee.

“He can stay,” said Bucky gruffly. “We have a spare bedroom.”

“You’re the best!” cried Clint, jumping up to place a kiss on Bucky’s cheek before running back into the living room and waking Tony up. “Tony!”

“Mmm,” mumbled Tony, curling up more, away from the hands that were probing him back into awareness.

“Come on, wake up,” said Clint. “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”

“No,” grumbled Tony.

“Wake up already,” snapped Bucky, yanking the blanket off in a quick pull.

“Shit, I’m sorry!” yelled Tony, sitting bolt upright and looking around in panic. “Don’t hit me!”

Bucky and Clint froze, staring at Tony who had smashed himself into the corner of the couch, looking around for the threat. It was Steve who stepped in, defusing the situation as best he could.

“Tony, what’s going on?” asked Steve.

“Nothing,” said Tony, blinking. “Nothing. Don’t do that, shit.”

“Sorry,” said Steve. “But I think what Clint was trying to achieve was telling you that we want you to move in here.”

“No thanks,” said Tony. “I’m all set.”

“Tiberius kicked you out,” said Clint.

“So? I don’t need him.”

“No, you don’t,” said Steve reasonably, still crouched in front of Tony. “But you do need a place to stay. And we have a spare bedroom.”

“You don’t know me.”

“You’ve come to the coffee shop every single day for the past year and a half,” said Clint. “You only drink plain, dark roast coffee with two scoops of sugar. You’re an engineering student. You have a wicked sense of humor, you’re a genius.”

“You love pastries but you never buy them for yourself,” said Steve. “You clean up after yourself obsessively even though that’s not your job.”

“You have nowhere else to go,” said Bucky. “It doesn’t have to be forever. But definitely for tonight and probably tomorrow as well, you’re staying here.”

“Bossy,” mumbled Tony, looking down at his knees.

“Great, it’s all settled,” said Clint, clapping his hands together. “Let’s go get your stuff.”

“No need,” said Tony airily, getting up and heading to the spare bedroom. “Ty threw everything out. It’s all ruined.”

Tony shut the door and locked it firmly behind him, leaving Steve, Bucky, and Clint in the living room. The boys all exchanged looks.

“If I ever see him again, I’m going to kill that bastard,” said Steve.

“He actually threw Tony out,” said Clint, shocked. “That asshole threw Tony out and all his stuff. He has nothing.”

“He’s broken,” said Bucky harshly. “Tony is broken. Seriously, Steve you have got to stop bringing home strays. I don’t think we can handle this. This is so out of our league.”

“Come on, Bucky,” said Steve. “We all have issues. He’s a person and he needs help. Look, if you’re really that uncomfortable with him staying here then I’ll find him somewhere else to stay.”

“No,” sighed Bucky. “It’s fine. It’s just – this is going to be hard.”

“I know,” said Steve softly, rubbing Bucky’s thigh. “But Buck, he’s like you. He’s hurt and scared and alone and he needs us.”

“You have a hero complex,” said Bucky.

“You love me any for it,” said Steve with a grin.

“Punk,” said Bucky.

Steve leaned forward and kissed Bucky, smiling. Clint groaned and wormed his way between them, demanding their attention like the needy little brat he was. Bucky and Steve obliged and let Clint cuddle between them.

“If we date Tony he’ll probably want to be in the middle too,” said Clint, snuggling between the buff brigade. 

“We are not dating Tony,” said Bucky firmly.

“Yeah, we’ll see,” said Clint with a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically Clint is a little brat who just wants his way, Steve adopts everyone, and Bucky is a grump. I like convincing Bucky into things.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	5. Money is the Worst

The room wasn’t bare, which surprised Tony. He had fully expected any spare bedroom belonging to a group of young adults to either be blank or used as a storage room, but this room was not. The bed had a deep blue comforter and could easily sleep two. There was a bedside table with a red lamp and coaster for a glass of water. Pictures adorned the walls like they had overflowed from the living room, infecting the guest room as well. Some were drawings of the boardwalk or Central Park, some were drawings of other people, some were actual photographs. The walls were a soft shade of red, the bedframe and dresser black, and there was even a desk that was ready to be used.

Tony pulled out the desk chair and crawled under the desk, curling up there where it was safe.

Ty had actually thrown him out. The blonde had done a lot of things in their time together, he had made Tony spend the night on the fire escape, on the street, in the hall, on the ground of the bathroom, but he had never actually kicked him out. But he had, he had kicked Tony out, destroyed all of his worldly possessions, and while Tony hadn’t had much to begin with there was no way he could afford to replace any of them now, not when he was down one job and one place to live. And even if the coffee boys meant to let him stay he would be expected to help with rent and there was no way he could do that and replace his ruined text books and buy food and new clothes.

Reaching up Tony blindly felt around until his hand connected with paper and a pen. He brought both down to the ground and began scribbling out his new monthly income and seeing exactly where all his money had to go – because he had to have a place to live, he had barely survived the streets the first time. Food he would just have to cut back on; coffee counted as food, right? He could survive off of coffee if he drank enough – and he did. Clothing would be more difficult but it wasn’t as if he hadn’t stolen from the donation boxes kept around town before. It was the books that would be the issue. Text books were overcharged to begin with and Tony needed those books. It wasn’t an option, he had to have them to pass his classes and he had to take more classes if he was going to graduate even earlier. 

Eventually, Tony fell asleep again under the desk, doing the math in his head over and over again, trying to find some way to make it work.

\- That Awkward Moment –

The following morning Steve made breakfast after going for a run. Tony’s door was open when he came back and the room was empty. A paper was on the ground under the desk and Steve went to pick it up, thinking it was a note from Tony saying where he went – he didn’t have a key after all.

It wasn’t a note. It was a budget. It looked like someone was trying to find a way to live off of next to nothing which, Steve realized, was exactly what was happening. Tony had spent last night trying to find a way to live when his income was just not enough.

“So let’s talk about this before Tony gets back,” said Steve when he walked out of the spare room to find Bucky and Clint devouring their eggs. Steve set the budget on the table for the others to inspect.

“Where’s Tony now?” asked Bucky.

“At class,” said Clint, pouring juice. “He has class on Wednesday mornings and works as a TA after that grading papers or something.”

“How do you know that?” demanded Steve.

“Tony and I talk,” shrugged Clint. “He also works at an auto shop on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Saturdays all day.”

“Well he wasn’t at work yesterday, so I’m going to assume he was fired for being late,” said Bucky, looking a bit guilty. “He tried to tell me but I didn’t listen.”

“Not your fault,” said Steve. “But that does leave Tony with the problem on only having one part time job that clearly won’t cover the cost of food let alone new clothes or rent.”

“So we cover him for a while,” said Clint with a shrug. “It’s not like we’ve never been a bit tight on money.”

“Oh yeah, that’s going to go over well,” sneered Bucky. “The kid didn’t even want to stay here for the night instead of sleeping on the streets. He’s not going to take our charity.”

“What if we presented it differently?” asked Clint, drumming on the table with his fork. “Like, what if we only asked for $50 for rent for the month under the claim that he doesn’t take up much space and is barely around? And when he’s home we take turns making enough food for everyone so he eats without feeling like he’s taking advantage of us.”

Bucky and Steve both eyed their counterpart with interest. Clint had clearly put more thought into this than they had; the smaller man seemed intent on making it work.

“Why do you care so much about what happens to Tony?” asked Bucky.

“Because that could have been me,” said Clint quietly. “The only difference between Tony and me is that I had help before it got so bad, he didn’t.”

“Clint –“

“No, you don’t get it, Bucky! You have always had Steve, you two grew up together. Even when things weren’t great you had each other’s backs. You don’t know what it’s like to always have to watch your own back because no one else will do it. And I got lucky, I got out of my parents house as soon as I could and I immediately had a place to stay with Nat. I don’t think Tony has ever has that. I think he’s gone from one shitty reality to another his entire life and now we have a chance to change that and you are refusing to take advantage of it!”

“That’s not what I meant,” said Bucky, looking abashed but stubborn. “It’s not going to be easy. Tony is broken-“

“He is not broken!” yelled Clint. “He’s hurt and he’s scared and he doesn’t know how to ask for help but he is not something you get to just fix. He’s not a project, he’s a human and maybe that’s the problem! Maybe no one has ever treated him like a human before.”

“I’m sorry,” said Bucky, holding out his hands in surrender. “You’re right, I don’t understand. And I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said he was broken, that was poor wording. But it’s going to be difficult, Clint. And I can’t promise that it’ll work out. I just don’t want you to get attached and have it turn out like Barney all over again.”

Steve froze; they never mentioned Barney. It was one of their rules, they never talked about Barney and they never talked about that one time freshmen year with the black haired foreign exchange student.

“Fuck you, Barnes,” spat Clint softly. “Tony stays.”

With that, Clint walked out of the apartment, his feet not making a sound on the old wooden floors, shutting and locking the door as he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I have decided to write an Alpha/Omega and Wing universe combined. Now I have to figure out the pairing. Suggestions?
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	6. Start of Something New

Tony hid in Dr. Banner’s office all afternoon, ignoring the rumbling in his stomach and hoping it would just go away. He loved being Dr. Banner’s TA. Grading papers were boring and the stuff Dr. Banner taught weren’t even in Tony’s field of interest but the man himself was brilliant and let Tony assist on his ongoing studies. If Tony was really good and didn’t mess it up, Dr. Banner would probably let him have unsupervised lab time next semester. If Tony had lab time, he could actually build all of the designs he had been scribbling down and writing for years.

Dr. Banner never complained when Tony arrived late – which was a rare occurrences – but even when Tony was late or working on other school work, Dr. Banner never seemed to mind. He would ask Tony to do something when he needed it or he would ask for the kids input on a problem but otherwise kept to himself. Most of the kids hated him because Dr. Banner had a temper but Tony liked the man because he was so mild and while he did have a temper it was never directed at Tony.

When Clint marched into the office unannounced, it was a surprise to both Tony and Dr. Banner.

“May I help you?” asked Dr. Banner, pushing his glasses up so they rested higher on his nose.

“No, I’m just looking for Tony,” said Clint.

“Well, you’ve found him,” said Dr. Banner with a smile. “Tony, you should get going. I know you finished grading those papers hours ago. Get some dinner. I’ll see you next time.”

“Bye, Dr. Banner,” said Tony, reluctantly following Clint out the door.

“Let’s go get some pizza,” said Clint.

“I’m not hungry,” said Tony over his growling stomach, thinking about the twelve dollars and twenty-three cents that rested in his pocket that he was planning on spending on a new pair of pants so he wouldn’t look so stupid wearing the borrowed sweats.

“Well I am,” said Clint. 

They stopped at a pizza stand on their walk back to the coffee shop. Clint ordered an entire pizza while Tony awkwardly hung back to avoid being asked if he wanted anything, because if he was asked then he knew he would say yes and he just couldn’t do that. However, after Clint got his pizza they simply walked away, continuing towards that coffee shop. Every so often Clint would hand Tony a piece while talking so Tony couldn’t protest. Tony was too hungry to fight too hard and decided that if Clint wanted to share his pizza, Tony would just have to return the favor in the future.

“Sit,” said Clint, directing Tony to his table at the back of coffee shop before donning his black apron and stepping behind the counter where Bucky was just finishing.

“Clint,” said Bucky.

“We are not having this discussion right now,” snapped Clint, brushing past his boyfriend and smiling at the next customer.

With a sigh, Bucky folded his own apron and poured a fresh cup of coffee. He sat down at Tony’s table and pushed the mug at the man.

“I didn’t order anything,” said Tony, not looking up from the text book he had borrowed from Dr. Banner’s room.

“I know,” said Bucky, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “I just thought I’d bring you some coffee anyway.”

“Listen,” said Tony, looking up and fixing Bucky with a stern gaze. “I heard what you said, about me being broken. And I’m not going to deny that I’m a basket case at best but I don’t need your pity and I don’t need your help. I can take care of myself and have been doing so since I was a kid.”

“Yeah, you’re so good at taking care of yourself that you get yourself beaten by your own boyfriend,” snapped Bucky.

“At least Tiberius never pretended to be something he’s not. I knew what I was getting into when I moved in with that dick but unlike you and your high and mighty self, I didn’t have much of a choice. It was either move in with Ty or stay on the streets. So until you know what it’s like no to have a roof over your head, to sleep under dumpsters, to have to fight people off 24 hours a day, you don’t get to judge my life choices.”

Bucky put his head in his hands and was silent for a long time.

“Look,” said Bucky at last. “I’m pissed that you were with an abusive asshole and never sought help. I’m pissed that you’ve lived on the streets and you have never had anyone look out for you. But I’ve got to tell you kid, you scare the shit out of me. Clint really likes you, he has since he met you. And Steve has a thing about taking care of the little guy. But the last time we took anyone in, it turned out badly, and I can’t see those two get hurt like that again.”

“I don’t hurt people,” said Tony softly.

“You will if you keep shoving us away with both hands.”

With that, Bucky got up and started walking out of the shop. Tony grabbed his coffee and followed, looking a bit like a puppy without all the fur. Neither spoke until they were back at the apartment and sitting on the couch. Steve was out shopping.

“I don’t know how to have a functional relationship,” said Tony softly, looking at his knees that were buried in the oversized sweats. “With anyone. My mom walked out on me when I was six. My dad was a drunk and a mean one at that. Tiberius wasn’t an asshole when I started dating him but he became one and I didn’t leave. And yeah, part of it was because I had nowhere else to go but a bigger part was because even though he hurt me, at least he was paying attention to me. At least he knew I existed.”

“You don’t have to let someone hurt you to exist,” said Bucky quietly.

“But now I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow,” said Tony. “You said I could stay yesterday and maybe tonight but after that…I can’t go back to him. And I can’t live on the street.”

“Look,” said Bucky. “I’m not about to kick you out. And I don’t want you living with uncertainty, which you clearly have been for too long, so let’s just establish this now; you are living with Steve, Clint, and I until you decide to leave.”

“I-“

“I wasn’t finished,” said Bucky. “You live with us. No, you do not get to help pay rent. We already have a system set up and setting up a new one will just piss me off. If it makes you feel better we can put you on the rotation to pay for take out. I’m not saying we’re friends yet but I’m also not about to kill you in your sleep.”

“That’s…nice of you,” said Tony slowly. “Are you just doing this because of Clint?”

“Yes,” said Bucky honestly. “Because Clint means the world to me and if having you around makes him happy, I’ll deal.”

“Is it sad that that’s the best thing someone has said to me in years?”

“Yes, Tony, yes it is.”

When Bucky saw the downtrodden look cover Tony’s face for the briefest of moments before hiding away behind that cocky mask, Bucky felt the stirrings of protectiveness deep in his chest because no one should ever take someone willing to ‘deal’ with their presences as more than they deserve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so it had been settled in the Wing/Omege fic that Tony will be an omega. Now for pairings I have narrowed it down to 3 choices, all of which I really want to write so if I don't use them in that fic I will use them in another. 
> 
> Tony/Avengers  
> Tony/Bucky  
> Tony/Coulson
> 
> Swish it around, think it over, and let me know your vote because honestly, I love all 3 choices and what I have written so far can work with any pairing. (yes, written, as in physically written out, not typed. I also have a High School AU that I am working on writing that I may one day post)
> 
> Always,   
> Ari


	7. The Strength You Need

In bed that night, Clint pushed Steve in the middle, making him a buffer between Bucky and him. Bucky sighed and rolled his eyes. Clint always slept in the middle, partly because he liked being in the center of attention and partly because Steve and Bucky both ran so warm that they overheated when they slept next to each other.

“Clint,” said Bucky, reaching across the bed with grabby hands. “Come on.”

“I’m still mad at you,” said Clint, turning his head away in a very mature move that any three year old would be proud of.

“I know, but Steve is a human heater and is the worst middle ever,” said Bucky, trying for light and joking, which turned out to be the wrong move.

“No,” snapped Clint. “Bucky, you always do this. You get all gruff and rude and you can’t keep doing that. You can’t keep pushing us away.”

“I’m not pushing you away,” said Bucky. “I’m pushing Tony away. I can’t let him hurt you two. You two get attached too easily and when Tony walks away I don’t want you hurt. I can’t do that again. It’s too painful.”

“Who says he’s going to leave?” said Steve, tugging at Clint until the man was sitting in front of him, both facing Bucky.

“He’s never stayed anywhere before,” said Bucky. “He’s left every place he’s ever been.”

“So have we,” said Steve.

“That’s different. We had each other.”

“So what, am I a flight risk too?” snapped Clint.

“No!” said Bucky, pulling his hair in frustration. “That’s not at all what I meant. He’s just- he’s new! And different! And I’m comfortable the way things are. But suddenly this guy is pushing his way into our lives and everything is going to change and I don’t want it to, I like where we’re at!”

“Nothing has to change if you don’t want it to,” said Clint. “Bucky, I want Tony safe, not to get in his pants.”

“I know,” sighed Bucky. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m just a bit wary after Bar- after everything.”

“It’s not going to be like that,” said Clint defensively. “I’m not about to let that happen again. Trust me.”

“Good, that’s settled,” said Steve. “Now, can we please go to sleep? I’m exhausted and have to open tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Clint with a yawn, settling down in the center of the bed.

“I’m going to go make some stew,” said Bucky, kissing Clint, then Steve. “I’m too restless to sleep.”

“Don’t stay up too late,” said Steve.

Bucky lost himself in the task of cutting and chopping. He hadn’t always found cooking so soothing but he also hadn’t spent much time cooking when he was younger. Making food was something that calmed his raging emotions because it was productive and helpful and meant that Bucky was doing something good with his talents. Plus, his boyfriends loved the food he made. Over the years he had learned how to cook several different meals and which meals were comforting to his boyfriends. Clint liked cornbread and tomato soup, Steve loved chicken and waffles. Bucky wasn’t sure what he found comfort in eating but he knew that making stew was the most comforting thing he could make, so he did that.

It took a moment for what he was hearing to register because it wasn’t loud or disruptive. Clint – who had fantastic eyesight but average hearing – never would have heard it. But eventually it did filter through the cooking haze and Bucky paused, cocking his head to the right as he listened.

Whimpering. Someone in the apartment was whimpering.

Bucky turned towards his bedroom, thinking that Clint was having a nightmare but then realized it wasn’t coming from his bedroom. It was coming from Tony’s.

He was going to let it go; he was not friends with Tony, well, they were but they weren’t on the best of terms. So Bucky was going to let it go, but then there came a particularly loud whimper and he couldn’t just walk away.

Opening the door to the bedroom that normally sat empty, Bucky saw Tony curled up on the floor under the desk. He was clearly in the midst of a nightmare and a particularly violent one if the bitten off sounds he was making were any indication. 

“Tony,” called Bucky softly, kneeling down, setting a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “Tony, wake up.”

“Stop,” whispered Tony, as though even in his sleep he was terrified of making too much noise. “Please. I’m sorry.”

“Wake up, man,” begged Bucky, shaking Tony’s shoulder harder but still not managing to wake the college student.

“Don’t,” begged Tony, screwing his eyes up in fear. “I’ll clean it up, just please, stop.”

“Fine.”

Bucky pulled Tony out from under the desk and tucked him into his lap, leaning against the bed and shushing him. Tony turned into the embrace, burying his face against Bucky’s chest, hands fisting his shirt, still asleep and still in his nightmare. Bucky rocked slowly back and forth, streaming constant reassurances, holding him close, just like he would do for Clint or Steve. Tony stayed tense, whispering more and more concerning things, for so long that Bucky was about to give up and just dump the kid under the shower. Slowly, Tony quieted and slipped into a deeper, dreamless sleep. Even after Tony had been quiet for almost an hour, Bucky refused to move for fear of waking the kid. Instead he leaned his head back on the mattress and closed his eyes to rest.

When Steve got up a few hours later to get ready for the day, he spotted the chopped veggies on the counter and the door to Tony’s room open. He poked his head in and found Bucky blinking up at him blearily, Tony fast asleep in his lap like an overgrown house cat.

“Still want him to leave?” said Steve with a smirk.

“He had a nightmare,” responded Bucky gruffly.

Steve laughed softly and nodded, the look on his face making it obvious that he didn’t believe his boyfriend for a minute.

“Softy,” whispered Steve before heading back into the kitchen, missing Bucky flipping him off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! I know that the pairing for the wing/omega fic will NOT be Tony/Coulson.
> 
> That means that Tony/Coulson will get to be a different idea. I have some floating around in my head that I have been playing with for a while because I really want to write this pairing. So now I need to know which way you want it to head.
> 
> Human!  
> Omega Verse!AU  
> Wing Verse!AU
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	8. Breaking Points

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Contains rape. If that it a thing for you, feel free to not read this chapter!

Tony didn’t mention anything when he woke up and Bucky simply left, allowing Tony the space and privacy to change. They continued not mentioning it all morning and by the afternoon they had come to an unspoken agreement that they would never speak of it again. Tony disappeared around lunch and when he came back in the evening he was much happier.

“I got a job,” said Tony with a grin. “It’s at that auto shop owned by that scary Russian chick. You know, the one who I’m pretty sure has killed before and will probably kill again…in the near future…possibly me. But she hired me so who cares?”

“That’s great,” said Clint, messing with the televisions guts, the instructions in front of him. 

“Why did you murder the television?” asked Tony, freezing and staring at the mess on the ground.

“It just stopped working!” whined Clint. “It stopped working and I’m trying to get it to start working but it’s not cooperating.”

“Yes, well that’s probably because you opened it up and are killing it,” said Tony with a smirk.

“Well you make it work then!” snapped Clint, throwing himself back on the ground in defeat. “It’s impossible!”

Tony grinned and came over, shoving Clint out of the way gently and throwing the instructions to the side. Clint blinked up from the ground and watched as Tony began meticulously sorting all the wires and figuring out where everything was supposed to go. He seemed at ease, almost happy, and in short order the television was back together and working better than before.

“Tony, you are amazing,” said Clint reverently was his favorite show began to play on the old but improved television. “Seriously, this is amazing. You are my favorite. How the hell did you do that?”

“A couple of wires were loose,” said Tony, ducking his head shyly, unused to the praise.

“Well you are a genius,” declared Clint, practically glowing when he saw a small smile on Tony’s face.

\- That Awkward Moment –

By the end of the third week of Tony living in the spare bedroom the four had fallen into some semblance of a routine. Tony would slip out early in the morning to work at the auto shop before running off to classes and would return home when whoever had the final shift at the coffee shop closed for the night. It was a little strange but no one questioned too much.

Tiberius glared at Tony when the short brunette ventured into the apartment building on his own for the first time in weeks. Tiberius would be lying if he said he hadn’t been waiting for the opportunity to get the boy alone; the large assholes he had run to were still threatening and Tiberius knew that they would never let him near Tony again. But if Tony was alone…

“Go away, Ty,” sighed Tony when the larger blonde stepped in his way.

“No,” said Tiberius. “You see, when I said you were to never come back, I meant to this building, not just move down the hall.”

“Down the hall and down several floors,” muttered Tony, a small part of him acting out because he was tired of being scared.

“Smartass,” growled Ty, shoving Tony against the wall and leering down at him.

“Get away from me,” hissed Tony.

“Or what?” sneered Ty. “Your new friends going to come save you? I doubt it, little whore like you’s not worth saving.”

“Fuck you.”

“That’s the plan.”

Tony froze as Tiberius yanked on his shirt, tearing it at the sleeve, his nails leaving red trails down Tony’s chest and Tony wished Tiberius had stopped biting those nails, it would have hurt less. When Tiberius opened Tony’s pants, Tony woke up a little, trying to fight the hand that was invading his personal place, those bitten nails trailing along his penis to his ass then shoving inside without ceremony. But Tiberius was stronger and used his upper body to pin Tony to the wall, one hand wrapped around Tony’s slim neck, choking him so he could barely breathe let alone cry out.

Tony pulled and tugged at that arm to no avail. Far too soon he felt Ty’s dry cock press insistently against his hole and he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. With one mighty shove, it tore past the protesting outer ring of muscles and invaded Tony’s ass in a way that was harsh and scarring. Tony wheezed out a whimper and tried to run away from the pain; it felt like his ass was being torn in two. And then, just as suddenly, the invading appendage was being torn out and the hand around Tony’s neck let go. Tiberius’ body disappeared and without it’s support, Tony fell to the ground in a disgraceful heap, shivering and crying, curling more into himself to make a smaller target.

“I’m going to kill you,” roared Steve, laying into Tiberius, who was on the ground, his pants around his knees, receiving punch after punch in the face. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You sick bastard!”

“Tony, come on,” said Clint softly, kneeling next to Tony’s head, gently shaking his shoulder. “Please, Tony, it’s me, Clint.”

“What the fuck is going on?” growled Bucky, stepping into the hall from their apartment two doors down. “I’m trying to sleep!”

“The blonde bastard raped Tony,” cried Clint, looking up from the younger man on the ground and over at Bucky.

“I’m going to rip his dick off and force feed it to him,” declared Bucky, stomping down the hall to where Steve was still fighting Tiberius.

“Wait, Bucky, please,” begged Clint. “I can’t carry Tony on my own. Help he get him back to the apartment, I don’t want him to see this. Please.”

Bucky nodded before reaching down and scooping up the trembling, gasping kid that had moved in with them not even a month before. It worried Bucky how light Tony was but what worried him more was how Tony didn’t try to fight him, he simply let it happen as long as Bucky didn’t try to force him to uncurl. Bucky settled Tony on the couch and left Clint with him, slamming the door on his way back into the hall.

“Now listen here you fucking cunt,” said Bucky softly, yanking Steve away and pulling Tiberius up by his shirt collar so his swollen face was inches from Bucky’s furious on, Steve panting in the background. “I doubt Tony is going to press charges and I’m not going to force him to but if I ever even see your fucking face again I’m going to take your head and shove it so far up your ass you’ll be seeing out of your fucking throat. Do you understand me?”

Tiberius nodded blearily. 

“Good,” said Bucky, his voice still dangerous and low. “Then you have twelve hours to get your fucking shit together and move the hell out. If you’re not out in twelve hours, then I’m pressing charges and your ass is going to be locked in prison for the rest of your fucking worthless life where you will find out what it’s like to be taken without consent. Now get out of my sight you fucking piece of shit.”

Bucky threw Tiberius back and stormed away, dragging the still panting Steve with him to the apartment.

Inside, Clint was slowly washing Tony’s face with a damp rag. Tony had moved from being curled up in a ball in the corner of the couch to all but curling up in Clint’s lap, eyes darting around in panic at each sound and movement.

“I’m calling us in as sick,” said Steve, starting to dial the coffee shop.

“Call Tony’s too,” advised Clint. “He’s not going in today.”

“Tony,” said Bucky softly, crouching down so he was eye level with Tony. “Tony, I need to know, do you want to press charges for what Tiberius did?”

Tony shook his head instantly.

“Okay,” said Bucky calmly, holding up his hands to show that he meant no harm. “That’s fine. Then do you want to get cleaned up?”

Tony nodded.

“Okay, I’m going to get the bathroom set up, you stay with Clint.”

Bucky nodded at Clint, who looked pale and shocked, and went to the bathroom. In the bathroom, Bucky took an old sheet and covered the mirror, then removed all sharp objects, setting them in his top drawer in the bedroom. He set out a fresh black towel, the soap that Steve loved so much, Clint’s sweat pants and his hoodie, then returned to the living room.

“Good to go,” said Bucky.

Clint nodded and helped Tony up, guiding him to the bathroom before shutting the door behind him. When Tony was safely in the bathroom, the water running that only partially masked his sobs, Clint sank into Bucky’s arms while Steve remained in the kitchen, washing his hands of Ty’s blood.

“What are we going to do?” asked Clint, tears escaping his eyes.

“We’re going to keep him safe,” said Bucky. “We’re going to protect him.”

“Does that mean we get to keep him?” said Clint, looking up at Bucky hopefully. “Even now?”

“Yes,” sighed Bucky. “That means we get to keep him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm horrible, I know....
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	9. Anything You Want

For a while Tony stood staring at the covered mirror. Part of him wanted to rip the pale blue sheet off and see what he looked like but a larger part of him was grateful that Bucky had covered it up. He knew he looked a mess and the last thing he wanted was a mental image forever imprinted in his mind of this exact moment. Eventually he turned away from the covered mirror and turned the shower on scalding. Stepping under the spray, Tony hissed but let the heat sink into his skin, the water pounding harshly against his body to erase the physical evidence of the morning. Only when the water got cold and he had scrubbed his body red did he realize that he was not going to feel clean and simply got out of the shower.

Tony eyed his clothes, the ones lying in a bloody heap on the ground and then pulled on the sweat pants and sweatshirt from the counter. The worn material didn’t grate on his skin like he thought it would. In fact, it felt almost soothing to the way his skin itched. It was easier to wear clothes that weren’t his because they didn’t feel tainted.

He wandered into the living room in a daze. Clint, Steve, and Bucky all froze, looking at Tony as though he had grown a second head and started speaking sign language, which was weird because you didn’t speak sign language. Tony shifted uncomfortably.

“How are you doing?” asked Clint, getting up from the couch and slowly approaching Tony as though he was a wounded animal.

“I need to call work,” said Tony, looking around, perplexed.

“We already did,” said Steve. “Natasha said it was fine.”

“What did you tell her?” said Tony, panic flashing across his face.

“That you weren’t feeling well,” said Steve. 

“And?”

“And….what happened,” said Steve softly. “I couldn’t help it! She didn’t believe me and she’s scary, even over the phone!”

Tony nodded, not bothering to fight, curling in on himself, arms wrapped around his middle in some semblance of a hug. Steve reached out slowly and tried not to take it personally when Tony flinched. Clint pulled Tony down onto the couch and Tony let him, falling into Clint’s chest where it was warm and safe and smelled nothing like the stale sweat and cigarette smoke that Tiberius did. Clint smelled like clean laundry and Steve and Bucky and fresh wood. Clint wrapped his arms around Tony, resting his chin on Tony’s damp brown locks.

“You’re ours now,” said Clint softly, holding Tony firmly as if to ground him to the present. “You’re ours and we protect our own. You’re safe here. Okay? You’re safe and we’re going to keep you safe. Whatever you need, just ask. Nat said take all the time you need, your job is there when you’re ready. And Dr. Banner said he’ll talk to your professors and email you your assignments.”

“He’s never going to leave me alone,” said Tony into Clint’s chest. “He’s going to keep coming after me until there’s nothing left. I can never escape him.”

“He’s out of the building,” said Bucky helpfully. “He’s never allowed back in and if I ever see him again I am going to kill him.”

It was said so matter-of-factly that Tony believed him. It shouldn’t have made him feel better, but it did.

“What do you need?” asked Clint.

Tony shook his head, afraid to ask for what he really needed. Clint gestured to Steve who settled on the other side of Tony. Bucky sat in front, his back to the couch, staring at the television as it played a mindless show.

“Can I – um – never mind,” said Tony after an hour and a half of silence.

“What?” said Clint, looking down at Tony who was still curled against him.

“A lock,” said Tony, biting his lip.

“What about a lock?”

“Can I put one on my door?” asked Tony.

“There’s already a lock on your door,” said Steve.

“Forget it,” said Tony, turning into Clint more.

“Do you want a bolt or a chain?” asked Clint. “Or do you want me to put a bar across it so no one can break it down? All three?”

Tony blinked and pulled away from Clint just slightly, staring up at the man in shock. Clint was serious, he would do all of those things if Tony asked and Tony didn’t know how to respond.

“I’m going to the hardware store,” said Bucky decidedly, partially because he couldn’t stand Tony looking like such a lost puppy. “I’ll be back.”

“I’m going with you,” said Clint. “I need to talk to Nat anyway.”

“Grab some more light bulbs,” said Steve. “And ice-cream.”

“Yes sir,” said Clint with a smirk.

Clint and Bucky left, locking the door behind them. Steve stayed on the couch with Tony.

“Do you want to talk about it?” asked Steve when twelve awkward minutes had passed.

“No,” said Tony, sitting up with a wince. “I don’t. I hate talking. I’m actually allergic to feelings, I break out in hives. It’s a very unattractive look.”

“Then I’m going to talk and you can just listen,” said Steve.

“Oh, here we go,” said Tony, rolling his eyes – the only action that didn’t seem to hurt.

“When I was growing up in Brooklyn, Bucky and I lived in the same apartment building,” said Steve, using his perfect story telling voice and Tony found himself falling under the spell without trying. “My dad died before I was born, he was a pilot, so it was just me and my mom. Bucky lived with his parents and three sisters. We were the only boys our age in the building. I used to get into so many fights and he would step in and save my ass – don’t tell him I said that. We grew up together.”

“How did you get together if you grew up together?”

“I had gone through a pretty nasty break up a few months before Bucky and his girlfriend broke up,” said Steve with a bittersweet smile. “They broke up and he was pretty upset. I kissed him and we fooled around for a few months, mutually horny and heartbroken. Then one day he mentioned someone else, a guy he met at work, and I realized I was jealous, and I never get jealous. So I asked him out. He said yes. The rest is history.”

“How did Clint come into play?”

“It was shortly after Bucky and I started working at the coffee shop. He walked in and Bucky thought he was cute. We talked about it, wooed him, and now we’re together.”

“Ty never wooed me,” said Tony. “Do people still woo? How do you even woo someone?”

“The right people woo the ones they care about,” said Steve with an understanding smile. “They take them to dinner, buy them nice things, take care of them. They treat that person like the precious being they are, like they are something to be treasured. And then, if that person doesn’t know how sweet they are, then the wooer shows them.”

Tony looked away from Steve because staring at Steve was like staring at the sun; he was bright and warm but the longer Tony looked the harder it got to see. Tony imagined that looking at Steve was what hell would feel like, warm and brilliant and painful because he was so kind and off the market. And Tony knew all about hell – he spent enough time in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I did a thing.....and I got a tumblr....anyone want to teach me how to tumblr?
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	10. Alone Now

Bucky had dropped Clint off at Nat’s and then went to the hardware store, promising to pick him back up in an hour.

“What can I do for you?” asked Natasha, not looking up from her desk where she was writing the paychecks for the week.

“Tony,” said Clint in such a way that it passed as a complete sentence. Clint made himself at home on the couch in the corner.

“I want a name,” said Natasha, still writing.

“Tiberius Stone,” replied Clint. “He no longer lives in the building, so I don’t have an address.”

“I can get an address, I just needed the name,” replied Natasha. At last, she looked up, her eyes piercing Clint’s soul. “How’s he doing?”

“Good, considering,” said Clint. “Nat, I think this might have shattered something inside him.”

“Explain.”

“Before, yeah, he was skittish and wary but he kept his distance, held himself like he was someone who could take care of himself. Now…he flinched when Steve first approached him. Steve! The gentle giant! And he asked for a lock for his door.”

“He was raped,” said Natasha, raising on delicate eyebrow as though she was having a difficult time fathoming Clint’s stupidity. “From what I gather, Stone is a blonde like Steve. And he was attacked in the building he lives in, of course he wants a lock for his door. Clint, I know what you’re thinking but this didn’t break him, this just brought out the insecurities he was already feeling. Now, skip those thoughts and tell me how he reacted to you and Bucky since he flinched for Steve.”

“He cuddled me,” said Clint with a small smile. “I think it’s because I’m not much bigger than him. Also because we’ve been friends for months before this. And he didn’t really acknowledge Bucky but…”

“But?”

“But I think he’s comfortable with Bucky. I thought Bucky would make him nervous because he can be so abrasive but he’s not.”

“Bucky’s an asshole but he’s honest. Tony needs that. I’m sure Tiberius started out sweet but that all changed, clearly. Tony probably likes how he knows where he stands with Bucky.”

Clint nodded; it made sense. Tony needed consistency and Bucky never pretended to be something he wasn’t. Tony and Clint always got along, they had similar personalities, and already Clint and Tony had watched movies and pulled mild pranks on the obnoxious neighbor across the way who played his music at three am. Steve, though, Steve was large and built and had eyes like a puppy and of course that would make Tony uneasy.

“How’s he at work?” asked Clint.

“Worth every penny and then some,” said Natasha, handing over an envelope with Tony’s name on it. “He’s a genius with machines, hard worker, does more than he needs to around the shop like sweeping the waiting room, finishing rush jobs and his regular work in the same amount of time. Seriously, this kid has potential coming out of his ears.”

“I could have told you that,” said Clint with a smile.

“You would be biased.”

“You’re not?”

Natasha sniffed indifferently.

“It’s going to be a long road,” sighed Clint. “He’s pretty scared.”

“Tell him I don’t want him back here for at least two weeks,” said Natasha. “I’ll keep paying him – you don’t need to tell him that, it’ll make him uncomfortable, just put his check in the bank or something – and his job will be here when he’s ready if it takes longer, but focus on that kid of yours.”

“He’s not that much younger than me.”

“It’s not about age.”

When Bucky returned, he handed Natasha a picture, one he had stolen from Ty’s apartment the last time he was there beating the guy up. It was a picture of Tiberius in a nice suit leaning against a 1969 Jaguar. Natasha nodded in thanks and Bucky left with Clint in tow.

At the apartment, Tony was still on the couch, curled into a little ball in the center, gazing at the television but clearly not seeing it. Steve had moved to sit on the ground, sketching something on his drawing pad – probably Tony. The artist smiled up at his boyfriends when they entered but Tony didn’t stir.

“Hey you,” said Clint, kissing Steve before throwing himself on the couch with Tony. “Hey Tones. How you doing?”

Tony shrugged but scooted up to lay his head on Clint’s lap. Clint started playing with his hair while Bucky pulled up a chair in front of Tony’s bedroom door and started drilling into the wood. He installed a chain, a bolt, and a bolt on the top and bottom of the door. Then he placed the chair in front of the door leading to the hall.

“What are you doing?” asked Tony, looking over at Bucky, speaking for the first time in hours.

“I finished your door,” said Bucky. “So now I’m doing the front door.”

“Are you doing your door next?”

“No,” said Bucky. “That door doesn’t get a lock.”

Clint practically exploded at that, because he knew that what Bucky meant was they wouldn’t lock Tony out. Once again, Tony didn’t seem to know how to respond, so instead he turned back into Clint and ignored Bucky. Bucky finished the locks and locked the front door for the night.

“Steve, come help me with dinner,” said Bucky from the kitchen.

“Yes dear,” said Steve with a smirk, noticing the way Tony flinched when Steve rose from the ground. Clint trailed his hand across Tony’s shoulders to settle him.

“Tony’s afraid of me,” whispered Steve when he was safely in the kitchen with Bucky.

“Tony’s afraid of everything right now,” sighed Bucky.

“Not Clint or you,” said Steve and when Bucky turned he was greeted with his boyfriend’s face in full kicked puppy mode. “Just me.”

“Just project your movements around him for a while. Don’t sneak up on him or anything and he’ll be fine with you in no time. I think you just remind him of that bastard.”

“I’m going to kill that asshole,” growled Steve.

“Nat’s on it,” replied Bucky. “Now, let’s make something steaming hot and easy on the stomach for dinner.”

\- That Awkward Moment – 

Natasha eyed the man strapped to the chair in front of her with distaste. His face wasn’t identifiable from the picture Bucky had given her but they had the same hair, watch, and projected the same air of being a pompous jerk. Also, she checked his wallet – no sense in offing the wrong guy.

“Please, I’ll do anything,” begged Ty, slurring his words slightly through the blood and missing teeth in his mouth. “Just let me go.”

“No,” said Natasha, sounding bored.

“What did I do to you?” cried Tiberius, genuine fat tears rolling down his cheeks. 

“Nothing.”

“Then why are you doing this to me?”

“Because you’re a sick bastard who thinks raping his ex-boyfriend who he was abusive to is a good idea.”

“What? How – how do you know about that?”

“It doesn’t really matter,” said Natasha, cleaning her nails with the tip of her knife. “It’s not like you’re going to live long enough for it to matter.”

“Please, I’m sorry!”

“That’s close,” said Natasha, stalking towards him, face blank. “But you haven’t quite convinced me. I don’t think you’re begging hard enough. Try adding some more tears.”

Natasha traced the point of her knife along Ty’s throat just hard enough to draw blood but not enough to cause real damage. Tiberius howled, screaming out apologies, begging for mercy, anything he could get. Natasha continued to listen, drawing patterns on his skin until it dripped red but was still no more than surface wounds. After twenty minutes, she pulled the knife away.

“Please,” panted Tiberius, his head hanging forward in submission. “Please, stop.”

“Did you stop?” asked Natasha, crouching to be eye level with her prey. “When Tony begged you, did you stop?”

Tiberius shuddered.

“That’s what I thought,” said Natasha.

For a long time after that, Natasha said nothing but that was okay because Tiberius was loud enough for the both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am almost finished writing the Wing!Omega!AU. I should be done sometime tomorrow with writing it, then I just need to type and post it. I'm trying to think of a really cheesy, obnoxious, over-the-top title for it.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	11. Sleep

Tiberius was there, tearing at his clothes, laughing as Tony struggled in vain to throw him off. The brunette couldn’t breathe, the hand around his throat was too tight and Tiberius just kept laughing at him like it was the funniest thing in the world. Maybe it was.

“Wake up,” called a voice that did not belong to the blonde. “Tony, it’s a nightmare, wake up!”

Tony’s eyes shot open and he clamped his mouth shut, only realizing then that he had been screaming. Clint sat in front of him on the couch, eyebrows furrowed anxiously as he watched for signs that Tony didn’t recognize him.

“Sorry,” mumbled Tony, looking away.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Clint.

Tony looked around the darkened room. Steve and Bucky were nowhere in sight, so Tony assumed they were in the bedroom sleeping since it was too dark for them to be up for work.

“You should go back to your room,” said Tony, not meeting Clint’s eyes.

“Naw,” said Clint. “Steve snores.”

Tony shrugged and went to his own room, not shutting the door, just throwing himself on the ground and crawling under the desk. Clint followed, tossing Tony a pillow off of the bed and bringing the blanket with him.

“You can go,” said Tony when Clint settled down next to him, not questioning why they were on the ground.

“Do you want me to?” asked Clint, eyes closed, seemingly relaxed.

Tony thought about it. He didn’t want to be alone and he did like Clint but he didn’t want to make Clint sleep on the ground. Besides, Clint should be sleeping with his boyfriends in a real bed, not on the ground with Tony, hiding under a desk.

“Yes, I want you to go,” said Tony.

Clint easily got up and left the room, which surprised Tony. He had been expecting a fight or argument, something, but not getting his way and never so easily. Clint could read the surprise on Tony’s face and it hurt him knowing that Tony truly didn’t want him to go but also couldn’t believe Clint had done as he requested. When Clint shut the door, Tony crawled over and locked it, then leaned against it, head against the wood, eyes closed. He sat like that for the rest of the night, awake and refusing to close his eyes.

In the morning, after Tony heard Steve head out for his morning run, Tony crept out of his room and locked the front door firmly, using the new bolts and locks, and then he curled up in the corner of the room where he could see everything and his back was protected. When, thirty minutes later, Steve tried to open the door only to find it locked, Tony was fast asleep. It ended up being Bucky who let Steve in.

“We should make a rule that no one locked each other out of the apartment,” grumbled Steve.

“Next time just wake me up before you go running,” yawned Bucky. “From what Clint told me when he finally came to bed last night, Tony didn’t sleep at all.”

“Whatever,” said Steve. “I’m going to shower.”

“Want me to join you?” offered Bucky lewdly, looking Steve up and down.

Steve winked and sauntered into the bathroom, Bucky following close behind after locking the front door firmly behind him. Clint woke to the sound of the shower running and got up to check on Tony. When he spotted his friend asleep on the ground in the corner, Clint decided his next goal was to get Tony sleeping in a more comfortable place. If the genius didn’t feel safe on his bed then Clint would just have to find a way to make him feel safe somewhere else.

Later that week, Tony was sitting in the living room with Bucky, Clint, and Steve. Bucky was reading a book, Clint was listening to Steve, and Steve was talking.

“But that’s the point!” said Steve passionately, waving his arms to help convey his emotions. “It’s not about how hard you get hit, Clint. Life has never been about that. It’s about how hard you get hit and then keep moving forward. And most people stop, they stop moving forward and just stay on the ground.”

Steve went on speaking but Tony tuned him out because it reminded him of Tiberius. Tiberius has always been verbose but he was never particularly loquacious. The way he used to move his arms made Tony think of a starfish but that had no impact on the man’s verbal skills. So while Steve kept talking, Tony fingered the worn letter in his pocket, the letter that he didn’t write but had kept for sixteen years, four months, three weeks, and one day.

Tony kept everything he deemed important, which wasn’t much but that was fine with him. After all, he no longer believed in materialism or socializing – not in the way that some people didn’t believe in ghosts but in the way some people didn’t believe in guns. It just wasn’t for him anymore and if he thought he could get away with it he would become a bit of a hermit who lived in comfort because caves were drab.

“Maybe everything doesn’t happen for a reason,” said Tony suddenly when Steve’s voice became too much. “Maybe we trick ourselves into believing that everything works out in the end so we don’t have to face the reality that maybe – in the end – it doesn’t work out. Maybe happily ever after is a lie we feed ourselves from an early age and then cling to as we get older because the thought that we may be wrong is just too much to bare.”

“Maybe you’re right,” said Steve. “But maybe you’re wrong. Maybe the only way things don’t work out is if you are too scared to jump for them, too afraid of falling that you never try.”

“But what if you jump and you really do fall?”

“What if you fly?”

Tony paused, thinking that over. He would love to fly. Flying would be fantastic. But he wasn’t made to fly, he was made to run and hide, to snark and piss people off. He was silent for so long that the others started drifting off to bed.

“Hey Clint?” said Tony softly, shuffling his feet.

“Yeah Tones?” said Clint, turning to look at his friend.

“Um, could you,” began Tony before shaking his head. “Never mind.”

Tony walked to his bedroom and changed, keeping the door open. When he finished, he eyed the bed with mistrust, longing to sleep somewhere that was not the ground but not okay with the bed either.

“Tony?” yelled Clint from his own bedroom. “Can you come here for a minute?”

Tony padded across the apartment and entered the boy’s bedroom. The bed was huge, easily fitting all three of the men but Clint wasn’t standing by the bed. He was standing next to a futon that was pushed into the far corner.

“What?” said Tony, nonplussed.

“I noticed that you don’t like the bed,” said Clint. “So I, um, I thought you might feel safer if you slept in here with us. You don’t have to, but I know you haven’t been sleeping lately and I just thought it might be a good idea. And since you don’t seem to like the bed I got a futon. It’s in the corner so you can see the door and the rest of the room. I understand if you don’t want to or it’s uncomfortable or something, but just know that it’s here if you’d like.”

Tony studied Clint, then Bucky who was already in bed reading and finally Steve, who had just come out of the bathroom in sleep shorts and nothing else. None of them protested and the idea of actually going to sleep was much easier to come to terms with when he wasn’t alone in his room where anyone could attack him and no one would know. If he slept in this room and anyone tried something the others would hear. Plus, Tony was exhausted. 

In answer Tony snagged the blanket from under his desk and curled up on the futon, making himself as small as possible before closing his eyes and falling asleep quickly to the sound of the other three men settling in for the night not far away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They will get together soon enough. 
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	12. Boundries

Bucky woke up with a small weight landing on top of him.

“Make him stop,” sobbed Tony, burrowing his way between Bucky and Clint. “You promised he wouldn’t get me here. You promised!”

“It was just a dream,” said Clint, yawning and wrapping an arm around Tony.

“You promised,” whimpered Tony.

“Okay,” said Steve, sitting up. “Tony, I’m going to go check the locks.”

“You’re okay,” said Bucky, turning slightly so Tony was effectively sandwiched between Clint and him. “Stevie’s checking the apartment. It was just a dream. You’re safe, kid.”

“He was there,” said Tony, crying into Bucky’s chest, one hand gripping Bucky’s sleep shirt and the other holding Clint’s hand where it rested over his stomach. “He was there and he was pinning me to the bed and he wouldn’t stop. You promised you’d make him stop. Make him stop! You have to! He won’t listen to me!”

“He’s not here,” said Clint softly, scooting as close to Tony as humanly possible, making a human wall between the crying man and his side of the room. “He’s not here. You’re safe and we’re here. Try to sleep.”

Tony blinked, still shuddering, looking around as if he finally realized where he was.

“Shit,” said Tony, sitting up. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

Scrambling, Tony fell to the ground and then got back on his futon. Clint sighed and joined Tony on the futon, sitting far enough away that he wasn’t crowding the brunette but close enough that his presence was clearly an offer.

“Think you can go back to sleep?” asked Clint.

Tony shook his head stubbornly. 

“What do you need?”

Again, Tony shook his head, refusing to answer.

“Apartment is clear,” announced Steve, returning to the room with a mug of tea. “Locks are in place.”

Steve offered Tony the mug of tea, who took it without questioning. The genius spent the rest of the night sitting up on the futon, jumping at every noise.

\- That Awkward Moment –

It was absolutely the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It was the perfect shade of brown, dark enough to know it was strong without being overpowering, the thin tendrils of steam rising off the top to indicate that it was fresh. Shakespeare would have written four sonnets and a tragedy about it if he was still alive. It was heartbreakingly perfect and in the deep recesses of his mind, Tony knew that no one would ever look at him the way he looked at that cup of coffee.

He was too damaged.

Tracing his slim middle finger over the old water stain ring on the coffee table that had been new thirty-two years ago, his mind wandered to the edge of the universe then kept on going, falling, slipping through the space between atoms in a way professionals would label as psychotic but what he called thrilling. Suspended in that place where time was relative and space uneven, he knew only one thing for sure – that his coffee was getting cold and the room was to blame, selfishly stealing all the heat from it in a vain attempt at making an impact on the room temperature.

Tony glanced up long enough to note Steve staring at Bucky – who was cooking – like he was the most beautiful cup of coffee ever – which he wasn’t because that cup of coffee was in front of Tony, slowly cooling off.

It was a bad day, one that seemed to drag on though it was only the morning, sinking under his skin, making his clothes itch until finally Tony went back to the shared bedroom, stripping off his shirt and donned Steve’s blue shirt, Bucky’s sweatshirt, and Clint’s jeans. When he returned to the living room he saw Clint on the couch and curled up next to him like a cat, making himself as small a target as possible while protecting his core. Steve felt a surge of jealousy at the easy interaction but quickly let it go because it had only been a month since the rape and while Tony had made leaps and bounds in trusting Steve, the kid had a ways to go yet.

“Steve is going to take you to work today,” said Clint, smoothing Tony’s hair. “Bucky and I have the morning shift.”

Tony nodded but made no move to get up from the couch. He had tried to walk to work on his own but after two panic attacks he had to admit that he needed to have someone with him. Usually it was Clint or Bucky or Steve with Clint or Bucky, but never just Steve before. Clint felt bad because he knew it was a bad day – Tony had been up half the night with nightmares – and had already sent Nat a message of warning, but he couldn’t take off more work and no one was willing to switch shifts with him.

“Ready to go?” asked Steve, holding out a travel mug of coffee to Tony.

“Yeah,” said Tony.

He sat up, took the mug, and followed Steve to the door. He put on his shoes, said goodbye to Bucky and Clint, and followed Steve out the door.

On the street there weren’t many people out yet; it was too early for most people to be heading to work. The one person they did pass was the tall blonde city worker who was emptying the trash cans. Tony stepped away from the man and grabbed Steve’s hand before he thought about what he was doing. Steve looked up to see the problem and switched sides with Tony, putting the shorter man on the far side of the sidewalk and glared at the worker until they were safely beyond. They walked another block that way before Tony seemed to realize what he was doing and stepped out of reach.

“Sorry,” said Tony, looking at the grimy sidewalk.

“No problem,” said Steve with a smile. “I don’t mind.”

“Yes, but I know you’re with Bucky and Clint,” said Tony. “I don’t want you to think I’m trying to…to get in the way or something. I already sleep in your room and everything.”

“It’s fine, Tony,” said Steve. “Don’t worry about it.”

Tony glanced up at Steve then back down. They walked a few more feet then Tony slipped his hand back into Steve’s so the taller man could feel the slight tremble. Steve squeezed the shaking hand reassuringly. They walked the rest of the way to the auto-shop in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! Look! A little bit of Tony/Steve bonding. And a little bit of hand holding before the millionth chapter! It must be a record.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	13. Best Friends

“Tony, don’t come in tomorrow,” said Natasha while Tony finished cleaning his tools and putting them away for the night. 

“I thought I was scheduled to work,” said Tony, looking up, mild panic flashing across his face as the thought that he was about to get fired flew through his mind. “I am, it’s written down somewhere.”

“Yes, but you also have a final that starts thirty minutes after your shift ends and I’m more interested in you passing that than you working your ass off,” replied Natasha. “I’ve already switched the schedule around.”

“I don’t need your help,” said Tony softly, staring at his hands. He hated feeling like a burden, like people needed to take care of him. He knew that Natasha went out of her way to make sure he was safe, fielding anxious customers who wanted to speak to the person working on their car, and calling Clint or Bucky or Steve if she noticed Tony getting nervous.

“I know but my shop looks better when people see that I’ve hired college graduates,” said Natasha, which was only partially the truth but she knew that Tony wouldn’t listen if she said she honestly wanted him to do well and was worried that his school work was slipping with all the extra emotional problems he was dealing with. Bruce was also worried, which was why the two of them had been talking.

“Okay,” said Tony, turning back to his work station.

“Hello?” called a voice, echoing throughout the bays. “I’m looking for Tony, I was told he would be here.”

“Who are you?” growled Natasha, glaring at the dark man who had entered the shop.

“Rhodey!” yelled Tony, dropping his red rag and running to the new man. “You’re back!”

“I miss you, kid,” laughed Rhodey, hugging Tony back before holding out a hand to Natasha. “James Rhodes.”

“Natasha,” replied Natasha, not sharing her last name, still glaring at the man who Tony was all but clinging to, smiling up at the new man. “How do you know Tony?”

“We met when no one was listening to Tony at a nerd convention twelve years ago,” said Rhodey, shifting Tony slightly so the shorter man was more behind, a defensive position. “Been best friends ever since.”

“Where have you been then?”

“Rhodey’s in the Air Force,” said Tony. “He does all sorts of things but mostly he’s out of town for work. Where were you this time? Egypt?”

“You know I can’t tell you,” said Rhodey.

“Just like you know I’ll just look it up later. Never say I didn’t give you the option to tell me before laws were broken and systems compromised.”

Rhodey rolled his eyes good naturedly.

“So are you just about done here?”

“Yup! Right, Natasha?” said Tony, double checking with his boss uncertainly.

“Yeah, you’re good, and remember, I don’t want to see you tomorrow.”

“Got it.”

“What’s tomorrow?” asked Rhodey, exiting the building with the brunette.

“I have a final,” sighed Tony. “And Natasha is worried that I’m going to fail if I come to work. Or that I’ll miss is since my shift ends thirty minutes before the test.”

“How does she know your class schedule?”

“I don’t know,” shrugged Tony. “I think she’s friends with Clint.”

“Who is Clint?”

“Um, he’s my roommate,” said Tony. “Sort of. I live with him and Steve and Bucky.”

“I thought you were living with that blonde dick,” said Rhodey.

“Yeah well,” said Tony evasively. “You’re back early. Why are you back so early?”

“Thing to do in the city,” said Rhodey. “Do I really need a reason to visit my favorite brat?”

“Not a brat.”

“So show me this place you now live,” said Rhodey. “What happened to that blonde dick?”

“Can we talk about it later?”

“Do I need to kill him?”

“I think you would have to get in line.”

“That bad?”

“That bad.”

Tony dragged Rhodey to the apartment, unlocked the door, and went inside, Rhodey right behind. Inside, Steve, Clint, and Bucky stood up, all three glaring at the new man in their home.

“Who the hell are you?” demanded Bucky.

“This is James Rhodes,” said Tony with a smile. “Rhodey, the buff blonde is Steve Rogers, the cute one is Clint Barton, and the grumpy one is Bucky Barnes.”

“Hello,” said Steve, eyes narrowing in confusion.

“I’m Tony’s best friend,” explained Rhodey, holding out his hand. “I’m in the Air Force and am on leave for a few days.”

“Can Rhodey stay with us for a few days?” asked Tony eagerly. 

That grin on Tony’s face, all hopeful and eager and more lively than it had been in over a month, made it impossible for the three to say no to Tony. They would have given the kid the moon if it meant he would continue looking like that.

“Sure,” said Steve. “James, you can sleep in this room.”

Tony pulled Rhodey into the spare bedroom, the one that housed his things and that sometimes he would try to sleep in before being woken up by nightmares and heading to the bigger room for company. 

“We get to cuddle,” announced Tony, throwing himself on the bed. “You love cuddling with me! It’ll be just like when we were kids.”

“Great,” said Rhodey sarcastically. “I love you stealing all the blankets.”

Tony flipped him off while Rhodey shut the door and joined him on the bed.

“Now can you please tell me what the fuck Stone did to you?” said Rhodey, this time not letting his tone allow for arguments. “Because those three guys looked like they wanted to kill me and while you don’t think so, people are very protective of you. It’s a thing. So what did he do?”

Tony closed his eyes, fighting off tears, hands shaking.

“I’m going to murder him,” cursed Rhodey. "I'm going to fucking murder that bastard. And then I'm going to bring him back to life just so I can get the pleasure of killing him again in a more creative way."

Tony let out a watery laugh which caused Rhodey to sigh and then join Tony on his back, side by side, staring at the ceiling while he waited for Tony to start talking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted the wrong chapter here earlier today but then I felt bad because I wasn't going to post the next chapter for this until tomorrow but the email had already been sent, making me a chapter tease and no one likes a chapter tease.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	14. Good Side

Tony looked rather like a puppy the next morning when he followed Rhodey out of his room and into the kitchen. Rhodey, for his part, didn’t seem at all bothered by Tony’s practical shadow status, easily working around the younger man while he brewed coffee and poured cereal in bowls. It was only when the others entered that Tony even attempted to pry himself away from his long time best friend. It lasted for a few minutes but then Tony was right back at Rhodey’s side as if drawn by a magnetic force.

“So what are you going to do today?” asked Clint, sitting in the chair on the other side of Tony, eating his own toasted bread with peanut butter.

“I’m going to run a few errands while Tony studies for his test and then take him to his test,” said Rhodey.

“I guess I’m going to study,” said Tony sullenly. 

“Yes, you will,” said Steve, Bucky, and Rhodey at the same time.

Tony rolled his eyes while Clint laughed and the other three eyed each other with new appreciation. After downing the rest of his coffee, Tony returned to his bedroom and sprawled out on the ground, reading the text book and typing some things on his computer. The door was open, which was an indication of a good day; Tony always left the door open when he was feeling safe.

“I’m off to work,” said Steve, kissing Clint and Bucky before waving at Rhodey and leaving. 

“So Rhodey,” said Bucky as Clint headed to the bathroom to shower. 

“What are your intentions with Tony?” demanded Rhodey, keeping his voice down so he wouldn’t disturb Tony in the other room. “Because right now I’m not too excited about anyone dating him.”

“I already have two boyfriends,” said Bucky.

“And are you looking to add Tony to that mix?”

“Maybe,” said Bucky honestly. “If he wants, then yes. Clint is interested, has been for months. I know Steve adores the kid. Steve has a thing where he can’t help it, he just likes the little guy. Sucker for a sob story.”

“What about you?” asked Rhodey, glaring at Bucky.

“I didn’t want him at first,” admitted Bucky. “But the kid has grown on me. I want to protect him and make sure he is happy.”

“He was raped not long ago,” said Rhodey bluntly.

“I’m not saying I want to bang the kid,” said Bucky. “He’s in no place emotionally to do that. And I don’t think he’s ready to take that step even if that was my goal. None of us – Clint, Steve, or me – are looking for a quick fuck. If Tony becomes part of this relationship then it’s because we all want it and it’s for the long haul. Then, and only when Tony is ready, will we discuss the possibility of taking things to the next level.”

“So what, you three will be wait until Tony gives the okay?” said Rhodey, eyebrows betraying just how much he did not believe that would happen. “No action for any of you until Tony gets on board?”

“That’s something we would have to discuss with him,” shrugged Bucky. “If he’s not comfortable with being in the room while we fool around then he can go somewhere else. Or if he’s not comfortable with the idea of us doing those things even if he doesn’t see it then yes, we will probably refrain until he is okay with it. It won’t be the first time. We did that when Clint first joined.”

“You’re very open about your sex life with a practical stranger,” said Rhodey after a pause.

“You’re clearly Tony’s best friend. If I ever want a shot down the road I figure I’d better get on your good side right now. Something tells me that if you had known about Stone then things would have ended a lot sooner. I don’t want that to be the case with us. And with what Tony has gone through recently, I’d be worried too.”

Rhodey nodded thoughtfully. It was true, and he would forever feel guilty over it, but if he had been aware of Tony’s relationship with Ty then it would have ended way before it got as bad as it did. But he hadn’t known; Tiberius had done his research and cut Tony off from Rhodey before Tony knew to tell the airman anything. But Rhodey couldn’t go back in time and could only do his best from that point on to protect Tony the way his kid deserved.

Bucky and Rhodey went on to talk about more pleasant, less personal topics like old cars they both loved and different antics Tony had gotten up to during the duration of their various friendships, the errands Rhodey needed to run forgotten. When the moment that Tony decided he was bored of his bedroom and would rather study at the library, Bucky and Rhodey acted more like old friends than people who had met only the day before.

“Okay, I studied,” announced Tony, following Rhodey out of the apartment, Bucky joining them while Clint went to work. “I expect a reward because we both know I didn’t need to study like that. I memorized the entire book at the start of the semester. I could ace this final right now if they would let me take it early. But no, I have to take it with all the other people. My classmates are the worst. They aren’t that much older than me but they act like I’m some annoying little kid who shouldn’t be in college. As if any of them are smarter than me.”

“You know what’s so great about you, Tones?” said Rhodey fondly.

“My sparkling personality?”

“The fact that you’re so humble.”

“It’s not my fault that I’m surrounded by idiots in college,” shrugged Tony. 

Rhodey and Bucky laughed and watch the kid enter the library. They stood there for several minutes, until Bucky got a text from Tony saying that he found a nice place to read and would call them after his text. Then the two turned and walked away. They got almost 400 meters from the library before an explosion rocked the ground, sending Bucky to the ground and Rhodey sprinting back towards the source – the library, which was smoking and crumbling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trust me, this has always been part of the plan.....and there is a plan! But yeah...until next time!
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	15. Buried

Long ago Tony had decided that his tombstone would read, “I’d tell you how I died, but then I’d have to kill you” - if he bothered getting one at all. He had no intention of dying because he was convinced that whatever lay after life - heaven, hell, the abyss, nothing, Valhalla, whatever - didn’t include coffee, and if that was the case he was not going. Still, he was nothing if not prepared, and in his book bag tucked next to an extensive first aid kit, was a poorly scrawled will and final instructions.

The explosion, when it happened, was nothing like the movies. People did fall, there was screaming, but that all-consuming fire of destruction that the cinemas were so fond of played no real roll. Or maybe Tony missed it. It was difficult to say because everything happened too fast for him to grasp it. One second he was sitting near a table on the floor between shelves of books in the oversized library, the next he was on his back, blinking up at an empty shelf that was too close to his nose for comfort. People were crying and screaming but all he could focus on was the fact that the ceiling wasn’t supposed to be a book shelf.

After several minutes of listening to other people scream and react, Tony realized that the ceiling wasn’t a bookshelf, the bookshelf was just on top of him. That thought gave him the willpower to wriggle a bit, noting all the new aches and twinges, and slide his legs closer to his chest. The sprinklers were spraying – which was stupid because there wasn’t a fire but the genius chalked it up to the fact that there had been an explosion and tried to use a book to block the foul smelling water from getting on his face.

“Holy shit,” gasped Tony, frantically digging out his phone. “There was an explosion.”

His phone was – thankfully – fine. With shaking fingers he dialed and then shoved the phone against his ear.

“Tony?” came the voice, skipping any greetings in favor of confirming that it was his friend calling and not someone who had found his phone.

“I swear, I didn’t cause this one,” said Tony.

“Thank fuck you’re alive, man,” said Rhodey, his voice coming in sharp gasps over the speaker, the vague echoes of people yelling and crying in the background. “Are you hurt? Where are you exactly? I’m coming to get you.”

“Do you think they’ll make me take the test still?” asked Tony, aware that he was rambling and on the verge of shock. “Because that would just be mean. But I’m not sure that ‘explosion’ was listed on the form for excuses for missing an exam.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, buddy,” assured Rhodey.

The airman looked up as someone touched his shoulder. It was Bucky, looking alarmed but determined.

“He’s alive,” said Rhodey, covering the mouth piece of the phone to talk to the other man. “In shock but talking.”

“I know where he was,” said Bucky, marching into the wreckage. “He always sits in the same place.”

Rhodey followed, keeping Tony on the phone with him.

“Tones, stay where you are,” instructed Rhodey. “Don’t move. I’m coming to get you. Bucky and I are coming to get you.”

“You should bring coffee,” said Tony, his voice distant, like it was a struggle for him to form complete thoughts. “I like coffee.”

“I know you do, kid,” said Rhodey, scrambling up the rubble filled staircase after Bucky, ignoring the other people who were stumbling the other direction, trying to leave the dusty, wet building. “Can you tell me what’s around you?”

“Bookcase,” replied Tony dutifully. “Only I’m under it. I don’t think that’s how these things are supposed to work. I’m pretty sure bookcases are supposed to hold books, not cover people.”

“He’s under a bookshelf,” reported Rhodey to Bucky. 

“We’re close,” said Bucky, turning a corner and pausing at the open room.

Half of the wall was gone, as was part of the floor. Bookshelves and books lay everywhere, desk legs stuck out at odd angles. The sprinklers were still spraying, some only dribbling water from the damage they sustained, some gushing. It looked like a warzone only it was a library.

“Give me the phone,” demanded Bucky.

“Tony, I’m giving you to Bucky,” said Rhodey before he handed off the phone to the other man.

“Hey Tones,” greeted Bucky, his voice gruff but soft at the same time. “Did you sit at your usual table?”

“Yes,” whispered Tony, closing his eyes and shivering. “Can you make it stop raining?”

“In a minute,” said Bucky. “Just give me a minute, I’ll be right there and I’ll make it stop.”

“Good,” mumbled Tony.

“He’s this way,” said Bucky, gesturing over to a pile of fallen shelves in a corner. 

The men ran over, hurtling debris and soaking pages, wiping water from their eyes, until they reached the approximate location of Tony’s favorite table.

“Tony?” yelled Bucky, looking around. “Tony, you gotta answer me, kid.”

“Here,” came the soft, pained reply from three feet over.

Rhodey and Bucky began furiously digging through the wreckage, tossing books and twisted bits of metal out of their way until they finally uncovered their missing friend.

Tony didn’t look so good. His hair was plastered to his head, a line of blood still dripping down his cheek. He was shaking with cold or shock – probably both – and curled into as small of a ball as possible.

“Hey kiddo,” said Rhodey, lowering himself into the crater revealed around his best friend, his dark hands gently running over the younger man, checking for broken bones with practiced care. “How you feeling?”

“Can we go home now?” asked Tony, blinking up at Rhodey. “Today sorta sucks.”

“You could say that again,” chuckled Bucky. 

“Did you hurt your back?” asked Rhodey, still taking inventory of his friend. “I need to know because we can’t move you until I’m sure you didn’t hurt your back or neck.”

“No,” sighed Tony. “I’ll be sore but nothing’s broken. Please. I hate this.”

Rhodey looked up at Bucky, who hovered on the edge waiting for further instructions.

“Give me your jacket,” instructed Rhodey, reaching out for Bucky’s worn leather jacket.

The airman then wrapped it around Tony’s shaking shoulders and started to ease his friend up. Tony whimpered but allowed Rhodey to pass him off to Bucky, who instantly curled around his friend to protect him from the sprinklers. Tony buried his face in Bucky’s chest, left hand going up to grip the material as though he was afraid the older man would disappear. In response, Bucky hummed, his chest rumbling gently with the sound. Rhodey helped him stand and together they started picking their way much more carefully back out of the library.

By the time they made it outside, emergency services had showed up. One paramedic tried to take Tony out of Bucky’s arms but the kid panicked and refused to let go. Rhodey had to step in, assuring the medic that he was a trained field medic and could promised that Tony was okay to stay with Bucky, that it was better for his overall health because removing him at this point would only cause a stronger panic attack, which would lead to aggravating his physical injuries. The medic sighed but let it go, needing to help others who were much worse off than the genius. After the two promised first the medic and then the police that they were taking Tony to the hospital, they were allowed to go free. If there hadn’t been hundreds missing, they never would have been dismissed so easily. As it was, neither Rhodey nor Bucky had any intention of taking Tony anywhere but the hospital – which was only two blocks over. And Tony, it seemed, had no intention of letting the other two out of his sight, if his grip on Bucky’s shirt was any indication.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! It wasn't a cliff hanger. That should be counted as a win.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	16. Coffee Now?

The hospital was busy and rushed all the tests on Tony to get him in and out as quickly as possible before they got overwhelmed with new patients from the explosion. Tony had a concussion, fractured left arm which they put a brace on, and several cuts that needed stiches. But when the nurses checked Rhodey’s file and found that he was indeed a trained medic, they were willing to discharge the genius as long as Rhodey promised to take proper care of him and look for all warning signs from the concussion.

When they reached the apartment, Tony curled up on the couch with Rhodey.

“You need a shower, buddy,” said Rhodey softly. “That water was not clean and you’re covered in dust.”

“You never think about the sprinkler water being dirty,” said Tony, his eyes still glazed with shock. “I mean, I just sort of assumed it would be clean, you know? But it’s not. It’s all wet and dirty from sitting in those damn pipes for so long. I would say they should look into fixing that but honestly they are supposed to put out fire, which I think they can do with dirty water just as well as clean.”

“Shower,” repeated Rhodey firmly.

“Shower, then coffee?” asked Tony, blinking up at his best friend with those eyes that could cause global warming.

“I’ll make Steve make the good coffee,” said Bucky. “I need to tell Clint and Steve what happened anyway.”

“You can’t go!” yelled Tony, sitting up suddenly, wincing as his head swam at the sudden movement. 

“Hey, relax,” said Rhodey, hands coming up to steady his friend. 

“Tony, they’ll have seen the explosion on the news by now,” said Bucky. “They need to know that you’re alive.”

“You, you can’t,” said Tony. “You have to wait until I’ve showered. Or I can wait and shower when you come back.”

“Why?” asked Rhodey.

“Because he can’t go,” whined Tony, his eyes filling with tears as a result of the pain medicine, pain, and explosion he had been through. “He can’t, what if Ty comes back?”

“Okay, I’ll stay,” assured Bucky, moving away from the door. “You go shower and I’ll stay here. I’ll call Steve at the shop and tell him.”

Tony took several calming breaths and nodded. Rhodey helped him up and to the bathroom to clean off while Bucky pulled out his phone.

“Hey,” said Bucky when the call connected.

“Have you seen the news?” said Steve, his voice shaking over the line, causing Bucky to ache with the need to hold his boyfriend, reassure him that everything would be okay.

“He’s okay,” assured Bucky, sitting on the couch. “He’s fine. He was in the library when it happened but Rhodes and I got him out. He had a concussion and is a mess but he’s home, we’re home right now.”

“Oh thank you,” said Steve. “Clint, they’re at home. He’s okay.”

In the background Bucky could hear Clint cheering and smiled.

“Look, I need you to make that good coffee Tony loves,” said Bucky. “And have Clint call Nat and tell her what happened. Rhodes has him for now. He’s in shock; probably a movie night tonight.”

“Got it,” said Steve.

They hung up shortly after and by the time Tony was back on the couch, inching into Bucky’s personal space while Rhodey took a shower, Steve was unlocking the door and entering with a steaming cup of coffee.

“How are you feeling?” asked Steve, handing the coffee to Tony.

“Sore,” said Tony, snatching up and coffee and cowering into Bucky’s side. 

“I’m so glad you’re alright,” said Steve. “Clint and I will bring food after our shift is over.”

Tony nodded and sipped his coffee. Bucky could feel the kid trembling against him but opted not to comment. It would have helped if Clint were present; Clint always relaxed Tony. Hopefully having Rhodey would help but Bucky wasn’t holding his breath on having a quiet night. 

“Hey Tones,” said Rhodey, emerging from the spare bedroom in full uniform.

“Just go,” sighed Tony, turning away from his best friend.

“I’m sorry,” said Rhodey, looking like a kicked puppy. “The explosion has everyone being called in.”

“I understand,” said Tony, sounding small. “Just go. I’ll be fine. I have coffee.”

“I’ll call you.”

Tony passively accepted the hug from his long time best friend and watched as he walked out of the apartment before closing his eyes and collapsing against Bucky as though someone had cut all the strings. Bucky pulled the smaller man close and didn’t say a word – there were no words that could fix the day. And with Rhodey gone again, so soon, Bucky just knew that no one was going to get any sleep that night. 

“Let’s watch a movie,” suggested Tony after a while.

“Not with that concussion,” said Bucky. “The sound and moving colors will make you sick, trust me, I’ve been there. How about I read you a book?”

“I’m not a toddler,” pouted Tony, looking very much like a toddler.

“Good because I don’t own any kids books,” said Bucky, picking up a book from the coffee table. “Now shut up, this book is about rangers and people who shot arrows. Clint loves it.”

Tony grumbled but didn’t move away from Bucky’s side as the taller man began to read. And when Clint and Steve entered the apartment a few hours later and Bucky was still reading to him, Tony shushed the newcomers, glaring at them for interrupting the story. Clint joined Bucky and Tony on the couch, automatically curling over Tony, mindful of the others injuries, while Steve set out the dinner they had brought home.

When it was time to go to bed, Tony tried to climb onto his futon but Clint pulled him to the big bed he shared with Steve and Bucky.

“No,” said Tony, confused.

“Yes,” said Clint, pulling the genius under the blankets. “If we are going to have to wake your as up every hour or so then you are sleeping here so no one has to get up.”

Tony blinked at Clint, then Steve when the blonde climbed in behind Clint and finally Bucky when the brunette simply slid in behind Tony. The genius wanted to argue, to say that he was crossing some line, that he couldn’t invade their bed when he had already invaded their bedroom, but he was tired and sore and Bucky was warm at his back and Clint smelled nice and had already pulled Tony’s head to rest on his chest, so it was easier to just give in for one night. Tomorrow he would go back to being vainly independent but he would deal with that tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question!!!!
> 
> I am thinking about writing a short about all of the Avengers as animals. Dogs and cats. Maybe a hamster if I'm feeling like being a shit to Clint. But yeah, animals. What do you guys think?
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	17. Blaming Clint

Thirty-seven minutes, that’s how long it was before Tony woke with a whimper. The others hadn’t even fallen asleep.

“You’re okay,” said Clint, running a hand gently through Tony’s hair. “What was it about this time?”

“Today,” whispered Tony.

“Go back to sleep,” yawned Bucky.

Tony closed his eyes and curled his hand into Clint’s shirt. He didn’t slip back to sleep but he did work hard to even out his breathing. He got it settled and managed to relax his body but his mind was still racing.

“I managed to get everyone scheduled so at least one of us is available to be with Tony for the next few weeks,” said Steve softly when he thought Tony was sleeping. 

“You’re the best,” said Clint softly, still stroking Tony’s hair in that same soothing fashion. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” said Steve, kissing Clint’s cheek. “Now get some sleep. Something tells me we should take advantage of the quiet times while we have them.”

“Mm,” hummed Bucky in agreement. “It’s going to be a long night.”

“Do you regret it?” asked Clint. “Any of this? With Tony I mean. I know it’s been difficult, we haven’t had as much alone time and the nightmares and everything.”

“Never for a minute,” said Steve. “We care about Tony too. And if he needs this, then this is what we’ll do. It’s fine.”

“Yeah, we like the kid,” said Bucky tiredly. “Now go to sleep. Sleep. Eyes closed. Breathing slow. Not talking. Sleep.”

“Sleep,” agreed Clint. “Sleep is good.”

Clint wriggled a bit, pulling Tony closer. Tony sighed and rubbed his nose against Clint’s neck just a tiny bit, just enough to get a sniff of Clint’s smell – which was a mixture of the forest after a rain (he must have changed his body wash recently) and something uniquely Clint that nothing could ever reproduce it. It was reassuring and should not have helped Tony settle his mind nearly as much as it did.

When he did fall asleep, Tony managed to sleep until Bucky nudged him awake two hours later.

“What’s your name?” asked Bucky softly, trying not to wake up his boyfriends before it was their turn to take care of Tony.

“Tony,” groaned Tony.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Purple. But I tell everyone it’s red or gold – depending on the person.”

“And who is your favorite superhero?”

“Batman. Superman sucks. He’s a cheat. The best super power is intelligence and money.”

“Agreed,” said Bucky with a smirk.

“My head hurts,” admitted Tony.

“Do you want me to get you something for that?” asked Bucky.

“I can do it,” said Tony.

“That’s not what I asked,” said Bucky.

The two stared at each other for a long moment. It was one of the few times when both recognized the pivotal moment when Tony’ answer would dictate what happened for a long time to come. Because Bucky had pointed out that there was a difference between Tony being capable of doing something and Tony being willing to let Bucky do something for him. They both knew that Tony could get something to help with the pain – Tony reminded Bucky of the knight on Monty Python who had his limbs chopped off and still refused to back down – but Bucky needed Tony to recognize that he didn’t have to do everything on his own. Tony needed to recognize that someone could help him, take care of him, and it didn’t have to end poorly.

“Okay,” said Tony, settling back against Clint.

As much as he wanted to, Bucky decided not to push the issue by making Tony admit it with real words. He rolled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom where they kept the medicine. He carefully read the labels of each bottle, comparing it to the list Rhodey had left behind of all the things Tony shouldn’t be given, didn’t like to be given, and was extremely allergic to – which was thankfully a short list. Finally he found a Tony-approved bottle that wouldn’t do much more than take off the edge but it would have to do. He filled a glass with water and brought it back to bed. Tony dutifully swallowed the medicine and Bucky set the half filled cup on the bedside table before settling back in bed.

“Hey Bucky?” said Tony softly, staring up at the dark ceiling.

“Yeah?” said Bucky.

“I don’t want to go back to sleep,” admitted Tony, something about the dark and the fact that it was Bucky – the only one who wouldn’t bullshit him with meaningless platitudes – making it easier to admit a weakness. That, and the medicine and pain and exhaustion was clouding his judgment. 

“What if you tried telling me about your life?” said Bucky. “Might tire you out.”

“Okay,” said Tony slowly. “Um, what do you want to know?”

“Anything you want to tell me.”

Tony was quiet for so long that Bucky thought he had fallen back asleep against his will.

“I’m an only child,” said Tony at last, his voice soft, timid, but there. “My father is a drunken dick and my mom is too high off of her ass most of the time to notice anything beyond her room. Seriously, out of the list of people who shouldn’t have reproduced they rank right up there with Mr. and Mrs. Hitler. Only for different reasons because I have no intention of trying to off an entire world of everyone who lacks blonde hair and blue eyes. My parent just lack the skills to raise a kid.”

Bucky hummed to show he was listening, digesting the new information. It made sense why Clint and Tony got along so well – they had similar upbringings, it sounded like.

“I’ve already earned a degree, I’m just going to school still because it keeps my dad from dragging me into the family business. For a week when I had the chicken pox as a kid all I would eat was macaroni and cheese but only the noodles shaped like dinosaurs.”

“Sounds reasonable,” said Bucky with a chuckle.

“I love cars. I can fix just about anything, cars or computers or really anything. I’m a shitty driver but that’s only because I speed. Tiberius was my first boyfriend and the reason my parents threw me out. They weren’t exactly pleased to discover that their only son would not be reproducing and passing along the supposed family genius. Haven’t spoken to them in a long time, not that it really matters, the not talking is actually better than all the fights.”

Tony was getting tired, his voice wavering and fading.

“Maybe you guys are pay back,” yawned Tony, turning slightly so that his head was against Bucky’s arm. “For all the shit I’ve had to deal with until now.”

Bucky looked down fondly at the brunette sleeping against his side and knew he was completely sunk.

“Dammit Clint,” sighed Bucky. “This is all your fault. And if Tony doesn’t want us, I’m holding your ass responsible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So does that make up for all the angst and hurt I've put you through so far? I mean, it's a little bit of cuddling, a little bit of caring Bucky, a little bit of Tony history, and all before chapter 20!
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	18. Unsettled

Steve and Tony were alone in the apartment. More specifically, Tony was sleeping curled up on the big bed and Steve was sitting on the other side of it reading a book while Clint was at work and Bucky was out getting groceries. It was early afternoon and Tony hadn’t been sleeping for long, only venturing out of the bed once to use the restroom in the morning before curling back up next to Bucky.

Steve had insisted on staying home with Tony, knowing that the younger man still was uncomfortable with him, and wanting to get past it. 

Tony stirred slightly, blinking his eyes open once, twice, and on the third time they stayed open. He looked around and found Steve sitting several feet away on the bed. 

“Hello,” said Steve with a smile, setting his book aside and turning his full attention on Tony.

“Aren’t vampires the ones that are supposed to watch people sleep?” said Tony, scooting back uneasily, wincing as the movements pulled his sore muscles. “Are you a vampire? That would explain why you’re so pale.”

“I’m not going to hurt you,” said Steve bluntly.

“I didn’t say you were,” snapped Tony, eyes darting around.

“I need you to know that though,” said Steve, not moving from his spot, not crowding Tony. “I know that you’re uneasy around me and I get why, but I’m not him. And I will spend every day proving you that but I need you to let me.”

Tony looked down at his hands, one of which was curled in the sheet, twisting it around and around, watching the fibers stretch and tighten before releasing and doing it over again. It wasn’t so much a nervous habit than a self-soothing motion. The fabric wasn’t high quality but it was soft and that softness eased the knot in Tony’s chest slightly.

“You have to understand,” said Tony quietly, almost earnestly. “It’s not personal. It’s just, I can’t help it. I know you’re not him but it’s not just about him. It’s about everyone. And it sounds awful and bratty but my daddy issues are out of control. I know, I know, spoiled little rich boy wasn’t hugged enough as a child, boo-fucking-hoo. But You’re just so much bigger than me and you look like him and I’m trying, I swear, but it’s going to take time.”

“Wait,” said Steve, holding up a hand, his nose crinkling in confusion. “I thought you were broke. Why would I consider you a spoiled little rich boy?”

Tony froze, his heart stuttering to a halt before picking up at a gallop, his hands stilling before twisting the sheets in earnest. It was almost as though the kid couldn’t figure out what to do with the question.

“You honestly don’t know who I am?” said Tony softly, looking at Steve in a whole other light.

“You’re Tony,” said Steve sheepishly. “You work too hard and don’t make nearly enough. You’ve had a rough go of it recently. You love coffee. That’s all any of us really know I guess.”

Next thing Steve knew, he had a lapful of shaking genius, curling into his chest and laughing in a way that suggested he was close to tears. Steve hesitated before wrapping his muscled arms around Tony, pulling the smaller man close, mindful of his injuries, and let Tony ride out the emotions.

“Who are you, Tony?” asked Steve after a while.

“Can we please just continue on with Tony?” asked Tony. “It doesn’t really matter who I was before. That’s over. I want nothing to do with my family and their business and they want even less to do with me.”

“But what’s your last name?” asked Steve, suddenly realizing that he had never heard Tony’s last name.

“Jarvis,” replied Tony, a secret smile tugging at his lips as the name rolled off hi tongue. “Now can I have something to eat? I’m starved.”

“Sure,” said Steve. “Do you want to stay here or do you want to go to the living room?”

“Living room,” said Tony.

Tony allowed Steve to help him up and leaned on him as he limped into the living room, his head hurting and muscles aching but happy to be out of the bed. Steve got him settled on the couch and went to make something easy to eat. Tony curled up and watched Steve work. More and more Tony was coming to trust Steve but it was still difficult. Clint was about Tony’s side and Bucky was too much of an open asshole to be threatening, but Steve was large and sweet and as Tony had learned, sweetness didn’t last.

“I made you a smoothie,” said Steve, handing Tony a cup with a lid and straw. “It has blueberries, bananas, and kiwi.”

“Thank you,” said Tony.

Steve stood awkwardly to the side, shifting his weight as though waiting for answers.

“You can join me,” said Tony.

The smile Steve shot him was blinding and pleasant and Tony’s stomach did a little flip but not of nerves. The two spent the next half hour sitting quietly, Tony sipping his smoothie and Steve drawing in a sketch book. When Bucky arrived, Steve got up and helped him put away the groceries. Tony was dozing on the couch, a blanket draped across his legs, mostly pooled on the ground.

“How’s he doing?” asked Bucky softly.

“He’s tired and sore but it hasn’t been awful,” replied Steve. “Hey Buck?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s Tony’s last name?”

“You’d have to ask Clint or Nat. I don’t know. Why?”

“He let it slip today that he used to be considered a spoiled little rich kid,” said Steve. “And when I asked he wanted to avoid it. He told me his name was Tony Jarvis but I think he was lying.”

“Then let him lie,” shrugged Bucky. “It’s not like we’ve told him about our families so much. It doesn’t matter if he grew up rich. His family kicked him out and he’s on his own now and, quite frankly, he’s not done an awful job.”

“Aside from the dick ex-boyfriend,” said Steve.

“Aside from him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So I have been in the hospital with my mom (I'm just the visitor) when I'm not at work, so that means my sleep and free time in down to nothing.....so yeah.....basically sorry if there are typos and such.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	19. Progress of Sorts

That evening, Clint coaxed Tony into the bed with him under the promise of watching a movie on the laptop together while Steve and Bucky went for a jog together. Tony seemed content to lean against Clint and watch the movie – something about kids at fat camp.

“If I fall asleep, wake me up so I can move to my bed,” yawned Tony.

“No,” replied Clint. “If you fall asleep I’m letting you sleep. You had a shitty night of rest last night and I am not imposing that same torture on you again.”

“Clint, this is your bed that you share with your boyfriends and I’m the awkward kid who is a basket case that can’t sleep alone because of nightmares and crippling fear of my rapist coming to get me,” sighed Tony. “You can’t honestly think I belong in bed with you guys.”

“Tony, I like you,” said Clint bluntly. “I’ve liked you for a really long time. I want to date you. I know Steve and Bucky want to date you. The only thing holding us back right now is the fact that we don’t want to push you. But if you want us, maybe not right now, maybe in the future, we want you too.”

“I like you,” admitted Tony. “But I don’t want to date you.”

It was a lie.

Tony wanted nothing more than to date Clint, Bucky, and Steve but he didn’t deserve them. They had been nothing but incredible to Tony since he moved in, from taking him literally off of the street to allowing him into their bedroom when he couldn’t sleep to taking care of him after the most recent bout of bad luck. Tony did not deserve it at all and he brought nothing to the relationship.

“Don’t say no,” said Clint in the soft voice that was both kind and understanding, as though he had read Tony’s mind. “Not because you are afraid or don’t think it’ll work out or think you’re unworthy or broken or anything like that. Say no only if you really have no interest in dating us.”

“I don’t deserve you,” said Tony, tears in his eyes that he blinked back. “I’m too broken. I can’t even begin to imagine what a healthy relationship would look like.”

“You have one with Rhodey,” Clint pointed out. “You two get along great, he’s your best friend and he treats you right. That’s healthy.”

“But what about the romantic shit? I can’t do that. That scares me.”

“We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for. I’m not looking for an answer right now. I just want you to know that we want you.”

For a while, Tony stared hard at the laptop screen, waiting to see if Clint would continue to push the topic or if he really didn’t mind waiting for Tony to decide on an answer. It seemed, however, after twenty minutes, that Clint had been honest with Tony and really didn’t mind waiting. The movie continued and Tony was fast asleep by the end, curled up with his head on Clint’s thigh, breathing softly in sleep.

Clint stared down at the young man who had become one of his best friends. He wanted Tony in a way that he never expected that first time Tony had stumbled into the coffee shop. 

It had been raining that day, not hard but still a constant patter of raindrops that certainly did not warrant the man who entered the shop with his hair dripping and clothes soaked as thought he had spent the night in a puddle – which looking back on it Clint felt like that hadn’t been far from the truth – but when he approached the counter, Tony had shamelessly flirted with Clint all the same. It didn’t matter when Clint had outright told him about his boyfriends, pointing out Steve and Bucky who had been working the same shift as him. In fact, Tony had encouraged the idea of a four-way and commented on the fine asses both of Clint’s boyfriends possessed. Clint had laughed because it was clear that Tony was joking and their friendship grew from there.

A nightmare took hold of Tony and Clint tried to wake him up.

“Stop!” screamed Tony, thrashing away from the touch. “Please, stop!”

“Tones, it’s okay!” yelled Clint, pulling the struggling young man to his chest, trapping the flailing limbs between their bodies. “You’re safe, man. You’re safe. I won’t let him hurt you.”

When Tony woke up, it was followed by the most intense panic attack he had ever had. Clint was still struggling to calm him thirty-four minutes later when Bucky and Steve entered the room. Desperately, Clint looked at his boyfriends, worn out and at a loss of how to help the genius who was crying and trembling in his arms.

“Tony,” said Bucky cautiously, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Tony, come here, it’s okay.”

Bucky took Tony away from Clint, allowing the exhausted man to slide out of bed and escape to the kitchen to get them all something warm to drink. Bucky adjusted so he was sitting back against the headboard with Tony in his lap. Steve, in a move that he normally would have avoided, joined them on the bed and sat in front, creating a barrier between the rest of the room and them. When Steve raised his hand, Tony reached out and snagged it, bringing it in to his chest and yanking the blonde closer.

“You have to make him stop,” panted Tony, curling up between the two as much as he could, using them as a shield from the world.

“He can’t get you,” assured Bucky. “He can’t get you here. We won’t let him.”

“Where’s Clint?” asked Tony, looking around but not seeing the other partner. “Where’s Clint? What if he get’s Clint?”

“I’m right here,” said Clint, rushing back into the room with a tray of steaming mugs. He set the mugs on the bedside table and joined the pile of warm bodies on the bed. “I was getting drinks. I’m okay, sorry.”

“Don’t do that,” said Tony, reaching out with his free hand and twisting Clint’s shirt in his grasp, crying harder now that he had everyone around him.

“You’re okay, baby,” said Clint, running his fingers through Tony’s hair. “That’s it, just let it out. Good job. You’re safe, we’ve got you.”

When Tony finally cried himself into an exhausted sleep, the others refused to move out of the protective positions. It killed them to know that Tony was suffering and if the only way they could help was by surrounding him with their presence – which he clearly craved even if he had a difficult time admitting it himself – then they were going to allow him that as much as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! An update! I like updates. 
> 
> I've thought more about having a fanfic con and have decided that it should happen and it should happen in Canada because they have space and I like Canada and the best ice cream I have ever eaten was there and I could really go for some ice cream.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	20. Date Night Maybe

It was date night. Usually on date night Tony would read in his old room until he was too tired and then creep into their shared room and sleep there. The others would go out to a movie or dinner or something and sometimes stay out the entire night but mostly return before Tony managed to fall asleep. Date night was every week on Tuesday evening – unless one or more had to work Tuesday evening, then they moved it to Thursday. Steve, however, was mostly in charge of the scheduling and Clint had no issues making changes so they all had off on Tuesday, so it usually worked out.

When Tuesday rolled around two weeks after the explosion and one week into Tony’s winter holiday from school, Tony was exhausted from working at the shop all day and wanted little more than to just crawl into bed and sleep. When he emerged from the shower, he found Clint, Steve, and Bucky all still in the apartment, sitting in the living room as though it wasn’t a Tuesday.

“Um, aren’t you guys supposed to be out on a date?” asked Tony, damp curls starting to dry as he stood staring at his roommates. “It’s Tuesday.”

“We thought you’d like to join us,” said Bucky bluntly.

“What Bucky means,” said Steve, elbowing Bucky and rolling his eyes. “Is will you please go on a date with all of us?”

Tony blinked at them, not sure how to respond. His heart was hammering in his chest, begging him to go for it, but his mind was racing just as fast, telling him it was a terrible idea, that they would get bored or figure out exactly how broken he was and bail and then he would be on the streets again – alone. Something of his inner turmoil must have played out on his face, though, because Clint was quickly stepping in front of the younger man, blocking the others from view.

“Tony,” said Clint softly, tentatively taking Tony’s hand in his own. “You don’t have to say yes. If it’s too much to go out all together then we can try one on one or something. It’s your choice. If you’re not ready then say the word and we’ll back off. This was my suggestion because you’ve been doing so well and we’ve been sleeping in the same bed, so I thought maybe it was time to try a real date.”

“I don’t want to go out,” said Tony truthfully.

Clint’s face fell but he tried to hide it.

“That’s okay,” said Clint, unable to quite keep his voice from displaying his sadness.

“Maybe we can just stay and watch a movie here?” said Tony, hurrying to correct the misunderstanding. “I’m just really tired from the shop and I want to go on a date with you guys but…”

“We can do a movie here,” said Clint instantly. “We’ll turn off all the lights like a movie theatre and make popcorn and Steve can order us Thai – we were going to get Thai anyway.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Steve, already pulling out his phone.

Tony smiled shyly at the others as Clint dragged him to the couch and sat him down between Bucky and himself.

Bucky could tell Tony was tense. Sitting next to the young genius it was easy to feel, his smaller body physically tense and mind practically vibrating with anticipation. One wrong move would send the kid flying away and there was a strong possibility that the right move would wield the same result. Therefore, Bucky settled for sitting back and turning off the lamp behind the couch, helping create the dim atmosphere for their makeshift movie theatre. Surprisingly, the dark seemed to help Tony relax because when Bucky settled again, the genius was far less tense – though still poised for flight.

By the time the food had arrived, Tony had almost forgotten that he was on a date with his three roommates and not just hanging out watching movies like the normally did. They ate on the couch and laughed at the terrible action in the movie. When Clint ended up cuddling up to Tony, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Bucky gently tugging them both back to lean against him didn’t feel wrong. Being caught between the two didn’t make Tony feel clausterphobic or trapped. And even when Steve – who Tony still had the most difficult time showing physical affection to – wrapped his long arm around Clint and Tony, gripping Bucky’s shoulder, it didn’t send off the warning bells it used to in Tony’s brain.

When the movie ended, the natural progress of the evening brought the four into their shared bedroom. Tony was still tired and quickly changed into his pajamas in the bathroom while the others did the same in the bedroom.

“This is usually the part of the night where we have sex,” said Bucky in his gruff way once Tony was back in the bedroom. 

Tony froze, his heart rate skyrocketing.

“But we’re not doing that tonight,” said Steve quickly. “We won’t go there until you’re absolutely certain you’re ready and we’ve all discussed it.”

“Okay,” said Tony breathlessly, trying to calm his heart and repeating in his mind that the three human beings in front of him were nothing like Tiberius.

Tony nodded to himself and climbed into the bed next to Clint. Bucky slid in behind Tony while Steve made sure all the doors were locked before getting in on the other side of Clint. Tentatively, Tony reached out and took Clint’s hand in his. For a few minutes, the two just held hands, Tony nervous he was overstepping his boundaries, Clint practically beaming at the attention. Then, just as slowly, Clint leaned towards Tony, giving the other plenty of time to retreat if needed. When Tony simply blinked at him, Clint continued until he was just a centimeter away.

“May I kiss you?” whispered Clint.

The other two in the bed held their breaths knowing that whatever Tony answered was going to be important. A yes would indicate that in the near future they two might be allowed to kiss the flighty young man, but a no would mean they might not stand as good fo a chance as they originally thought.

“Yes,” replied Tony, just as softly.

Clint covered that last bit a space and tenderly pressed his lips against the genius’s slightly chapped ones. For two seconds, they stayed touching that way, then just as slowly Clint pulled back a bit and was pleased to see Tony blinking a bit dazedly, a small smile in place on those lips the dirty blonde had finally kissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The worst part of moving is not having internet. But look, I have it for like three minutes, so I'm real quick posting this chapter. Basically, I have chapters written for several of my works and need internet for longer to post them. Sorry!
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	21. The Hunt is On

“We’re going Christmas tree hunting,” declared Clint that Friday.

“Have fun,” said Tony. “I’m going to work.”

“No you’re not,” said Clint with a grin. “Nat called this morning while you were in the shower. She’s closing the shop until after New Years. Turns out she’s going back to her hometown for the holidays and being the sketchy person she is, doesn’t trust anyone to run the shop/not snoop around while she’s gone. So you’re off work until next year!”

“But, I need that job,” said Tony softly, panicking at the idea of not having enough money to get his – Roommates? Boyfriends? Cuddle buddies? – presents for Christmas. Or being able to pay for that winter jacket he really needed.

“No worries, she’s still paying you through the time off,” said Clint, reading Tony’s thoughts on his face. “She said she’ll send you your new schedule after you get your new classes set up.”

Tony breathed a sigh of relief that caused Clint’s heart to twinge. The blonde had been trying to get Tony used to the idea that they weren’t going to let him starve, that they wanted to take care of him, but it was slow going.

“So get on something warm, it’s time to hunt trees!”

“You can’t hunt trees,” said Tony, pulling on the worn hoodie he had stolen from the lost and found at school when it started getting colder. “Especially in the city. They’re already cut down.”

“Not with that attitude,” said Clint, bouncing around like an excited puppy. “Besides, who said anything about staying in the city? Where’s the sport in that?”

Tony raised an eyebrow at Clint but Steve entered before he could respond. The massive blonde young man held an oversized travel mug of coffee fresh from the shop downstairs. Tony slipped on his new trainers – a gift from Clint after the explosion ruined his – while on the couch. Steve sat down next to him and handed him the coffee.

“You’re my favorite!” declared Tony, taking a grateful sip from the mug.

“I thought I was your favorite,” said Clint from the door where he was putting on his own shoes.

“You didn’t bring me coffee,” replied Tony loftily.

“Whatever,” grumbled Clint good naturedly. “Bucky just texted me. He’s downstairs, let’s go.”

Bucky had picked up his beat up old Jeep Wrangler from Nat’s shop where he stored it most of the time. Steve and Clint had teased him endlessly for keeping the car when he never drove it – parking was a nightmare in the city – but even they had to admit that it came in handy for times like this when a cab would be way to expensive.

“Shotgun!” yelled Clint, sprinting by Steve and launching himself into the front seat.

Bucky rolled his eyes but there was a small grin tugging at his lips, so Tony was pretty sure the brunette didn’t actually mind. Tony settled into the back with Steve and when they were buckled – Bucky was a mother hen who refused to drive anywhere unless everyone was buckled in properly – they pulled out into the busy street and headed out of the city.

“So where exactly are we going?” asked Tony when they were well on the way out of town.

“There’s a tree farm a few towns away that has the best Christmas trees,” said Steve. “Bucky and I grew up getting our trees from a lot but Clint insists that if we are going to have a live tree then we need to be the ones to cut it down.”

“It all seems rather barbaric,” said Tony. “Searching through a farm of trees for the right one and then starting it’s slow demise by cutting it from the base. How on earth is that festive?”

“Because we get hot chocolate and the one who finds the best tree gets bragging rights for the rest of the year,” replied Clint happily. “Now stop being such a Grinch and trying to ruin this for me. I never got a tree growing up.”

Tony looked down at his hands. It was easy to forget that not everyone had the same experiences and it was even easier to forget that Clint had it rougher than most.

“There were always twelve Christmas trees in the house growing up,” said Tony softly. “My mother loved to show off and my father loved excess, so twelve trees it was.”

“Damn,” said Bucky. “You live in a fucking mansion or something?”

“No, we had to squish them all in the five hundred square feet shack I grew up in,” said Tony sarcastically. “Of course it was a fucking mansion. It was huge and cold and empty most of the time.”

“Do you have siblings, then?” asked Steve, seizing the opportunity to ask Tony about his personal life.

“No,” said Tony. “Just me.”

“What does your dad do?” 

“He’s a business owner,” said Tony shortly. 

“Tony,” said Steve softly. “I’m trying here.”

“I know,” said Tony, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the faded cloth seat. “I’m sorry. My dad is just a sore subject for me. It’s not that he hates me – he’d have to love me enough to have the passion to hate me – but it’s more that I’m an utter failure in his eyes. He’s disappointed on the highest level with me.”

“But you’re a genius,” said Clint, turning in his seat to stare back at the two. He couldn’t see how anyone would ever be disappointed to have a son like Tony. “You’re so hard working. What on earth could he possibly be disappointed in?”

“I’m smarter than him,” said Tony with a shrug, as if that explained it. “He’s disappointed that I’m smarter and worried that one day I’ll outshine him and he’ll live to see it.”

There wasn’t a answer for that, so no one responded. The rest of the drive was spent listening to a folk band cassette that Bucky refused to trade out.

When they arrived at the farm, Clint was too excited to sit still any longer. He launched out of the car as soon as Bucky had it in park and ran to the bin that held the hand saws. Bucky joined him, wrapping an arm around the short mans waist and looking over their options, rejecting seven before finally settling on a saw with a brown handle that seemed sharp enough to pass Bucky’s impossibly high standards.

“And now we hunt!” declared Clint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I have internet! Yay for internet! Thank you all who have been patient with me while I do this moving thing. Still need to unpack but whatever.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	22. Tree Hunting

Tony found that he liked the tree farm. There was a barn located near the front of the place. That was the central location and it seemed that everyone parked their and brought their trees back to be shaken out and strapped to the top of their cars. Inside the front of the barn was where the hot chocolate and counter was kept, so Tony assumed that was where they had to pay for the tree. Directly outside of the door was a bucket of hand saws and further on were fields of trees planted in orderly rows. One of the workers mentioned which type of tree was in which area but Tony hadn’t even realized there were different types of Christmas trees, so he ignored the man. 

Clint led the way down a dirt road, Bucky, Steve, and Tony following rather like ducklings. The wind blew an icy blast at them, causing Tony to shiver in his hoodie, the cloth garment doing little to protect him against the biting air. Luckily, he was at the back of the group, so his predicament went unnoticed. 

“So what’s the point, again?” asked Tony after walking for several minutes/

“We have to find the perfect tree,” said Clint. “It can’t be too tall of Steve will get prissy but if it’s too short then we can’t fit all our presents under it. And there shouldn’t be any gaps in the branches or it looks weird and the trunk needs to be straight or it’ll fall over when we put it in the stand.”

“And why don’t you just get a fake tree, again?” asked Tony. “That sounds like an awful lot of requirements.”

“Don’t be a grouch,” said Clint. “Now start looking for a good tree.”

Tony sighed but wandered a bit off the path, weaving between trees but always keeping one of the others in sight. He wasn’t nervous but being alone did make his heart flutter uncomfortably if he thought too much about it. After a half hour, Tony finally stopped in front of a six foot tree. It was tall but also massive around. Tony grinned, circling the tree and seeing no obvious holes that Clint would surely complain about. The trunk looked stable and there seemed to be enough space for presents. 

“I think I found one,” called Tony.

Clint and Steve came running over while Bucky strolled the few yards distance; the brunette found himself unable to stray too far away from Tony without worrying about the other. 

“This,” said Clint reverently after inspecting the find. “Is the best tree ever.”

“I agree,” said Steve.

“Alright, then if everyone agrees let’s get to the chopping,” said Bucky, laying down an old blanket from his car and climbing under the branches with the saw.

“This is the part where Bucky goes all manly and refuses to let anyone help cut down the tree,” whispered Clint, loud enough that Steve could hear but not quite enough for Bucky to make out through all the branches.

“And this is fun for him?” said Tony, confusion clear in his voice.

“Yup,” said Clint. “Let’s sit down, this may take a while.”

Tony sat next to Clint, shivering lightly until Steve joined him on the other side and wrapped an arm around the younger man. Tony stilled for an instant before leaning into the warmth the tall blonde seemed to radiate. Gradually, Tony leaned his head against Steve’s shoulder and Steve stayed perfectly still, relishing in the physical contact that Tony was giving him. 

It took forty seven minutes but finally the tree tipped over and everyone cheered.

“Alright, Steve, you get to drag this thing back to the road,” said Bucky, throwing himself at their feet, groaning from the effort.

“Baby,” teased Steve before getting up and fetching the tree.

“It’s so fucking hot,” groaned Bucky, wriggling out of his jacket.

Bucky threw the leather jacket at Tony, keeping on his hoodie. Tony laughed but pulled the jacket on to compensate for the lack of Steve-heat. Clint got up and helped Steve by flagging down the trailer to bring the tree to the barn, leaving Bucky and Tony sitting on the ground.

“So what do you think of your first tree hunt?” asked Bucky, staring up at the sky, arms behind his head.

“It’s different,” said Tony. “I’m starting to realize how many traditions you guys already have set up and I don’t know how I can possibly fit into them.”

“So we’ll make new traditions together,” said Bucky simply. “Tree hunting is a thing for Clint. Honestly I think the whole thing is pretty dumb because it would be way cheaper to just buy a fake tree but it means a lot to Clint, so I do it. We’ll figure it out.”

Tony looked doubtful but didn’t respond.

When the tree was loaded up, strapped down on top of the Jeep, bagged and the end dangling over the back, the others got into the car, Bucky in the drivers seat, Tony riding shotgun, Clint and Steve in the back. The radio was blaring Christmas music until Tony’s cell phone rang.

“Hello?” said Tony as Bucky shut off the radio. “Yes, this is him.”

Tony paused, listening intently over the phone to what the person on the other end had to say.

“Okay, yes, I understand,” said Tony after several minutes, his face paler than before. “Thank you for telling me.”

Tony hung up the phone.

“What was that about?” asked Bucky after several seconds of silence.

“What?” said Tony, blinking before looking over at the driver. “Oh, that was just an old family friend.”

“What did the old family friend want?” asked Clint.

“To wish me a happy holidays,” said Tony. “Also maybe to tell me that there was an accident. I guess, um, I guess my parents were in a car accident. My mom’s dead and my dad – well, it doesn’t look good.”

“Wait, I thought your mom walked out on you when you were little,” said Bucky.

“She did,” said Tony. “But she came back a few years later.”

“I’m so sorry,” said Steve. “What can we do? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“I don’t know,” said Tony, staring blankly out the window. “I’m not sure. Obie didn’t say and my dad isn’t exactly my biggest fan. I doubt he’d want me there.”

Bucky looked in the rear view mirror and exchanged looks with Steve and Clint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter should be much cuddlier. Like....all the cuddles.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	23. Hospital Time

Steve and Bucky set up the tree in the living room but then get right back into the car with Clint and Tony and drove to the hospital. It took them two hours to get there and the entire time Tony didn’t say a word. He remained curled up in the front seat, swamped in Bucky’s jacket, staring out the window. When they arrived at the hospital, Tony stood outside of the car and just stared at the building.

“So how do you want to handle this?” asked Clint, slipping his hand into Tony’s, allowing the genius to hold on. “Do you want us all to go in with you?”

“I’m not going in alone,” said Tony softly.

“Does your dad know you’re into guys?” asked Bucky bluntly.

“Why do you think he finally kicked me out?” said Tony with a dark laugh. “Don’t get me wrong, it was only a matter of time before he kicked me out anyway, I think I just hurried it along with the whole ‘into guys and girls’ thing. All he got out of it was ‘into guys’ and it’s not that he’s homophobic and more that he’s pissed his only child’s odds of producing an heir are slim to known now. He figured making me live with nothing would have me crawling back to him in no time. Jokes on him – I found someone willing to put up with me. And then you guys came along. I haven’t exactly had time to tell him about any of it on account of him not speaking to me and all.”

“Okay, so hand holding and kissing is something to avoid for now,” said Steve. “We’re roommates, we’ll stick with that for now.”

“You guys don’t have to come,” sighed Tony. “It’s not going to be a warm reunion.”

“Then let’s get it over with,” said Clint, bouncing anxiously on his heels.

Tony rolled his eyes and walked to the door, visibly steeling himself before entering through the sliding glass doors, Steve, Bucky, and Clint right behind. 

“May I help you, sir?” asked an older nurse behind the desk. He had grey in his hair and looked like a few too many turkey dinners under his belt but overall he just looked tired.

“Yes,” said Tony with a charming smile that made the others cringe because it was nothing like the warm, shy smile they had come to know from the genius. This one was cold, calculating, and all for show. “I’m looking for Howard Stark. He was brought in several hours ago.”

“I’m sorry, no one is allowed to see Mr. Stark,” said the nurse.

“I’m his son, Tony Stark,” said Tony, still with the same easy smile, leaning an elbow on the counter. “Now we can do this a few ways, all of which bore me. The simplest would be for you to just tell me where to find him, you can not tell me and let me roam free in the hospital, creating chaos in my wake because that’s what I do, you can keep me here and I’ll wait until you’re not paying attention and then just enjoy the computer access and find out way more than just a room number, do you want me to continue? The next few get a little violent.”

“He’s in intensive care, private room, fifth floor, room 598,” said the nurse, rolling his eyes.

“Thank you, John,” said Tony, reading the name badge. “I promise not to annoy you further.”

John nodded at Tony and Tony walked away, the others in tow. In the elevator Tony bounced on the balls of his feet. When the doors opened, Tony walked out and they were met by another man, this one tall and bald with a smile that instantly set the three older boys on edge.

“Tony!” said the bald man. “I told you, you didn’t have to come.”

“Yet here I am,” said Tony. “How is he?”

“Still hanging in there,” said the man. “Who are your friends?”

“Roommates,” said Tony. “Roommates, this is Obadiah Stane, my father’s second in command.”

“Roommates,” said Obadiah, glancing skeptically at Steve, Bucky, and Clint. “Interesting.”

“Sure,” said Tony. “Anyway, Obi, give me some specifics here.”

“You don’t need to worry about a thing, son,” said Obadiah, patting Tony’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of everything.”

Tony rolled his eyes and shoved past the man, forcing his way into the closed room. Bucky slipped in with him while Steve and Clint stood guard, keeping Obadiah out.

Howard Stark lay on the hospital bed, a tube down his throat, gauze and plaster over every inch of his body, needles stuck in the rest, and for several long minutes Tony just stood there. 

“I don’t want him to die,” said Tony softly. “I may not like Howard but I don’t want him to die. He’s my father, after all.”

Bucky said nothing.

“I’m not ready to be an orphan,” admitted Tony.

Bucky stepped up and wrapped his arms around the shorter man. Tony leaned back against him, still wearing the borrowed leather jacket. For ten minutes they stood there before Tony shook himself out of whatever thoughts he was having and strolled out of the room.

“Tony, my boy, I told you, you have nothing to worry about,” said Obadiah when Tony emerged. “I’m taking care of everything.”

“I need you to start making the arrangements for the funeral,” said Tony calmly. “Call the media, they’ll want in on this. Or you can let me call them.”

Obadiah glared at Tony but pulled out his phone because the threat of what Tony might say to any media outlet was worse than leaving the kid unsupervised. As soon as Obadiah was down the hall, Tony turned to the nurses station.

“Hello, Margot,” said Tony with a smile. “I’ve Tony, Howard Stark’s son. I read his chart and I want you to know that you’ve been doing a wonderful job.”

“Thank you,” said Margot, a young nurse with a timid smile and crooked teeth.

“You know that man I was just speaking with, the tall bald guy with weird cologne?”

Margot nodded.

“Well between you and me, he kinda creeps me out,” said Tony, leaning forward like he was sharing a secret. “I know he has power of attorney or whatever, but I need you to keep an eye on him for me, okay? Don’t engage him, just let me know if he does anything shifty. Can you do that for me, Margot?”

“Okay,” said Margot. “Truth be told, I’m glad you said something because he kinda scares me.”

“If he does anything that truly scares you call this number, it’s Howard’s security detail, great guy there named Happy, he’ll hear you out.”

Tony winked at Margot and pushed off, declaring that he was going to get some coffee. He made it all the way to the long term waiting area in the cardio wing before collapsing into the waiting arms of Bucky, who seemed to have known that it was only a matter of time and was waiting for it to happen. Clint and Steve joined them as they moved to a worn couch. Bucky sat down, pulling Tony onto his lap and Tony going willingly, not crying but slipping into a deep sleep, the type that emotional exhaustion would bring.

“Can’t the kid catch a break?” whispered Steve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank NaNoWriMo for the update - aka procrastination at it's finest.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	24. Peace

That evening, when they had finally gone back to the apartment after being assured that Howard was as stable as could be expected, Tony sat on the bed with Steve, Clint, and Bucky. Steve had made everyone mugs of coco and they had changed into pajamas. Tony was having a rough time with everything and no one had argued when the younger man pulled on Clint’s favorite purple shirt, Steve’s old high school football sweat pants, and Bucky’s old sweat shirt. He often sought comfort in their clothes, claiming that their clothes didn’t feel as grating on his skin as his own.

“So, I guess I owe you all an explanation,” said Tony after a few minutes of just staring at the mug in his hands.

“You don’t owe us anything,” said Clint. “But if you want to tell us anything, we’re here for you. But you don’t have to tell us anything if you don’t want. We’re still going to care about you, we’re still going to be here for you.”

“I want you to know,” admitted Tony.

“Then we’ll listen,” said Steve.

“First off, my name is Tony Stark and if I was in a book I’d be an unreliable narrator,” said Tony. “It’s not that I’ve been lying to you all but I’m not very trusting so I haven’t exactly been truthful on some things. Like my name. Jarvis was the man who pretty much raised me but Howard Stark is my father.

“Howard and I were always fighting but we finally lost our shit one night and he kicked me out and cut me off. In theory, he did it to teach me a lesson and expected me to come crawling back after a week. I didn’t want to do that because I hate letting him be right, so I didn’t go back. I lived on the street for a bit but then moved in with Ty. When I lived with Ty, he didn’t pay for anything like food, just the apartment. So I got a job working on cars while going to school. Obviously, that didn’t work out and now I’m here.”

“Why exactly did he kick you out?” asked Bucky.

“He caught me flirting with a boy. He’s not homophobic or anything but he didn’t like the idea that I wouldn’t be carrying on the family genius by having any babies. Jokes on him, though, I don’t even want kids.”

“How do you feel about it all?” asked Clint.

“Betrayed, I guess,” said Tony. “I mean, I may have never gotten along with him but he was still my father and he still turned me out. I don’t care about the money but I lost my family and now I’m losing it all over again and I – I just don’t want to be alone anymore.”

By the end of his small speech, Tony had tears escaping his eyes and was trembling. Surprisingly, it was Steve who moved first and pulled Tony into his arms. Even more surprising was that Tony went willingly. Tony desired comfort and he had been growing closer to Steve, so the brunet allowed himself to be vulnerable with the blond. Steve, in turn, took what he could get and cradled Tony close, hoping he could convey just how cherished the young man was in that hold but unsure if it was coming across. If it was coming across, Steve wasn’t sure if Tony was willing to believe it, believe that the people in the room with him cared about him and wanted only good things for him.

\- That Awkward Moment –

It was four in the morning when Tony’s cell phone rang shrilly on the nightstand. Tony grumbled and burrowed further into Bucky’s chest, causing Clint, who was hugging Tony from behind, to wriggle closer to Tony, which woke Steve as his source of warmth – Clint – moved out of reach. 

“Phone,” groaned Steve.

No one moved to answer it, making Steve grumble and flail his hand until he finally found the phone. He brought it to his ear, pressing what he hoped was the answer button.

“Hello?” yawned Steve.

“Is this Tony?” said a female voice on the other end of the line. “It’s Margot from the hospital.”

“Hey, Margot,” said Steve, trying to get his brain to work properly. “Right, this is Steve. I was with Tony at the hospital. He’s asleep right now. What do you need?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” said Margot, sounding sorry. “It’s just, he asked me to call him if anything happened and I thought, I mean, I know I don’t really know him or anything but I just figured it’d be nicer to hear it from me than from the doctor because quite frankly Mr. Stark’s doctor sucks at breaking bad news and Tony seems like such a good guy. I just thought he should be prepared for when they call him with the news.”

“What news?” asked Steve, sitting up slowly, trying not to wake his bedmates.

“Mr. Stark just passed away,” said Margot softly. “I’m sorry.”

“Thanks for telling me,” said Steve equally as softly. “I’ll make sure Tony hears it from someone aside from the doctor or Mr. Stane.”

“Thank you,” said Margot. “If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”

Steve hung up, set the phone aside, and settled back on the mattress, staring up at the dark ceiling, wondering what to do next. On one hand, he wanted to tell Tony right away, not wanting to keep such information to himself. On the other hand, Tony was actually sleeping peacefully for once, so Steve was reluctant to wake him. Tony so rarely slept peacefully that Steve eventually decided to just let him be. After all, when Tony woke in a few hours his entire world would be changed forever in an unhappy way. Steve wanted to preserve the little bit of peace that Tony had found in sleep as long as he possibly could because when the genius woke, Steve knew that everything would be whirlwind and Tony wouldn’t find any peace there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....not dead. I just can't shake this cough.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


	25. Normal

The funerals were a grand affair and Tony loathed every minute of it. He had hated that life even before he had been thrown out of it. He loved dressing in nice suits, he adored eating good food, but he hated how people were always trying to get something from him, how he always had to watch his back, and how no one ever said what they meant. It was like verbal Olympics and while Tony excelled he hated competing.   
When they were over, Tony had disappeared from the spotlight once again, hiding in the relative safety of the apartment he shared. Stane had attempted to corner him – presumably to sign the company over to him – but Tony had avoided it with a well placed door to slip out of. Tony had zero intention of signing that company over, not that he wanted to run his fathers company. He didn’t but he also wasn’t ready to give it up. He had plans to change it, move away from creating weapons and into medical and clean energy, but those were both things Tony needed to research and plan for and until he reached that point he was happy to let Stane run it with the hopes of someday convincing the young genius to sign it over.

“What do you want for dinner?” asked Clint, relaxing across most of the couch while Tony was curled up in the corner, staring at nothing.

“Not hungry,” grunted Tony.

“Order pizza,” said Bucky, who was sitting on the floor, reading a book. “I’m starving.”

He also knew that Tony would eat pizza if it was left out and the young man hadn’t eaten a full meal in almost a week.

“I don’t think another pizza run is in the budget this week,” said Steve from the kitchen table where he was going over all their expenses for the month. “We had to spend more on gas than usual.”

“You’re joking, right?” said Tony suddenly, looking up and more alive than he had in ages.

“No,” said Steve blankly. “We don’t normally use that much gas, we walk or take public transportation.”

“No, I mean, you know that I’m Tony Stark now,” said Tony, disbelief clear on his harrowed features. “I’ve just inherited millions from my parents. That whole being cut off thing doesn’t translate into death unless Howard decided to change his will, which he didn’t because he still help out with the vain hope that I would give up and come crawling back. So yeah, millionaire here as your roommate. You officially no longer have to worry about making ends meet. I’ve got all that covered.”

“Tony, we didn’t expect you to pay for everything before and we don’t expect it now,” explained Bucky before Steve could say something so Steve, like that they didn’t need Tony’s charity. “Nothing has changed that way.”

“But, I can pay now,” said Tony, confused. “People always want money.”

“True,” said Clint. “But we don’t want it if it means you stop trusting us. We’re not dating you because of your money or because we think we can use you for our own ends. We’re dating you because we like you and want you to be happy.”

Tony thought about that for a few minutes.

“Pizza would make me happy,” said Tony, almost at a whisper, as though he was afraid that they would deny him that. 

“Then if you want, you can buy pizza,” said Bucky. “But we need you to know that we don’t expect you to start trying to buy us over. You’ve already got us.”

“Yeah, and you’re stuck with us,” said Clint, playfully moving to drape himself across Tony, causing the genius to chuckle.

Tony was not sure what he had done to deserve three such patient men to deal with him and his issues. Even before everything with Ty, Tony had had issues. Luck had never been his friend. Yet here he was, curled up under the warmth of Clint, who had become his best friend, with Bucky nearby, who Tony had come to adore for his honesty, and Steve, who Tony was still nervous around but working hard to move beyond that. All of them had spent late nights with him when nightmares plagued his sleep, had patiently waited out his ramblings when he got overwhelmed, and helped him through panic attacks. They let him have his space when he needed it but they never let him distance himself. 

The problem with the death of his parents is that Tony wasn’t sure what he felt about it. It was like he was empty but not at the same time. He wanted to feel bad that his parents were dead or at least feel bad about how little he did not feel bad about it. He had been so distant from his parents for so long, though, that it was almost like old acquaintances had died instead of the people who had combined forces to create him.

The truth was, he felt more for these men he had known for a relatively short period of time than he did for his dead parents, and that scared him. Hands shaking, short breath, feet sweating, terrified him as much as it exhilarated him.

“Let’s go on a walk,” said Tony suddenly.

“Really?” said Clint.

“Yes,” sighed Tony. “Even I’m sick of how much of a homebody I’ve become. I want to go out.”

“Okay,” said Bucky, always one to agree to any sort of outing. “We can walk to pick up the pizza.”

When they reached the sidewalk outside of their apartment building, Bucky easily threw an arm around Tony while Clint practically climbed Steve to perch on the larger blond man’s back. Tony tensed only for a second before relaxing back into the gentle stroll and warm body. No one on the street bothered them, though one person did throw Bucky a dirty look, but that was probably because Tony was rambling about a robot and Bucky looked like her was taking the genius seriously. All in all, it was terribly uneventful and exactly what Tony was craving. It was a positive step to getting back to what he wanted to be his normal – a nice, dull, jeans-and-old-shirt normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, not the most eventful chapter but hey, the end is near. Just a few more chapters and it will be over. That makes me sad.
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


End file.
